Empty And Full

A very true story for a successful Life.

An old king wanted to choose his successor, but he had three sons. Everything about them was so similar that even their father and mother got confused among the three brothers. They were all handsome, intelligent and courageous and the king was getting older and could not figure out what to do.

So he went to an old wise man and asked, “How do I find my successor?” The man said, “It is not a difficult thing. Give all some money, the same amount and tell them, “You have to fill your houses with something this money can buy.”

All the three had their own big houses and the money just did not seem to be big enough for filling the whole house with flowers or any good things. Now what to do? So the first hit upon the idea to go to the municipal corporation of the city and ask for all the rubbish would fetch some price. The job was done.

The second was in trouble because the first had already filled his house well before time. He had to hurry. He too thought and could find nothing ‘good’ to fill his house with. It was rainy season and mud was all over the place. He thought he had just to bring trucks and carry the mud to fill his house. That should not cost much. He too completed the job.

Both were happy and looking at the third as to what he was doing, because he was doing nothing at all.

When the evening of the appointed day came, the king came to visit them. The first house stank “Come and see”, said the first son, “the house is full”, “Agreed”, said the king, but enter the house? No, no such a foul smell!

Visiting the second house, he saw the entire marble house filled with mud! And it looked really dirty. Now the king started getting worried. He thought if the third son too had done something like this, then how was he going to decide whom to choose?

Anyway, both the sons and the king went to the third son and they were surprised to see the house completely empty and even the furniture had been removed. The king said, “The house is empty and you were given money to fill it completely.” The son said, “Look a little harder,” they saw and said, “But it is empty”.

“But father, didn’t you see those candles which are filling the house with light? It is empty but full of light and I thought, there can be no better way than to fill it with light. And here is the money I wanted to return to you, because the candles were cheap and there was no need for so much money”.

The king exclaimed, “Oh! I didn’t realize how beautiful your house looked, how very beautiful indeed!

If we too could learn “To fill our own house of ignorance with the bright light of knowledge”.