The Golden Message, A Story To Know How To Live
In a distant country there was an old king, very wise and powerful. He sensed that his life was coming to an end and he had great concern for his son , the heir. The boy was only 9 years old and had to replace him. This tormented the sovereign and was what started the legend of the golden message.
The kingdom was the most prosperous in the entire region. For years, the king had worked hard to make his country the best of all. There was no hunger and justice was done in time. Abundance was the dominant note. The king knew that many envied him and only waited for the slightest opportunity to invade his dominions and take all the riches.
Anguished about the future, he summoned his council of sages. He then asked them to analyze the whole situation thoroughly. Then they had to elaborate the golden message. It had to be the most valuable of all the advice that he could give his son, so that he could face all the possible dangers that would come after the death of the father.
The wise men and the golden message
The council of sages met for several days. Some proposed to build a military principle, to make the kingdom invulnerable from any attack that might ensue. Others recommended focusing on good governance. The most important thing was that the prince maintain the loyalty of his people. But they could not agree.
After a couple of weeks, the sovereign summoned them. Each one gave what in his opinion would be the best advice for the little prince, in case he had to face difficult situations, without the guidance of the king.
The king listened patiently, but none of the advice struck him as a true golden message. Then he grieved. His loyal servant, a very clever young man who was always with him, noticed the king’s sadness. Then he whispered advice into her ear. The king was surprised. That was truly a golden message. He had it engraved in marble and put it in a beautiful gold box. He asked his servant to hand it over to the prince when necessary.
Death of the king
Seven years after that episode, the king died. All his people mourned him, for having been a great sovereign. The prince, who was already a young man, promised to continue his father’s legacy and he did so. However, it was soon proven that the sovereign was right in his fears. Several nearby kingdoms united and invaded that prosperous country.
The prince barely had time to escape, as they attacked him surprisingly. The king’s loyal servant helped him out of the palace and into the forest. From there, the prince watched as the invaders subdued his people and plundered the kingdom. He felt like dying. The servant felt that the time had come to show him the golden message.
He handed the precious gold box to the prince and he opened it carefully. There was the message engraved in marble. It only contained three words, which contained the wisdom of a lifetime. It simply said: THIS TOO WILL HAPPEN.
The times of plenty
The prince realized that nothing was finished. He had to move on. With the help of his faithful servant he managed to gather several men from his kingdom, ready to fight to drive out the invaders. With great patience they worked out a careful plan, which came out perfectly. They simply made the inhabitants refuse to work for their enemies, and thus, very soon, the kingdom ceased to be prosperous.
The enemies left because there was no longer any wealth in the place. Then the prince returned to the palace, his heart shattered. He didn’t know how to rebuild everything. The servant reminded him of the golden message and then the young man regained hope to continue. In just five years the kingdom returned to what it was.
In gratitude to the new sovereign, the inhabitants of the place organized a great tribute. They loved the prince, who was now king, and they all let them know. The young man was more than flattered. He received offerings and words of admiration from all the subjects. He began to feel the greatness of what he had accomplished.
The good servant approached him and whispered the golden message in his ear: THIS TOO WILL PASS. The young king reacted. It was true. Everything in life is transitory, both the good and the bad. It was better not to forget it so as not to be overwhelmed, but not to be puffed up either. The kingdom returned to what it was and the golden message was eternally transmitted from generation to generation.
