The Present Moment

[Guest guest]

There was once a king who decided that if he knew who the most

important people to be with were, and what the most important thing to

do was, and when the best time to do each thing was, that he would

certainly be the finest king ever to rule the land. Although he had

asked his advisers, none had been able to give him a good answer to

these questions.

 

At last he decided to ask the advice of a wise hermit. The king

dressed in the clothes of a commoner and set out for the forest. When

he neared the hermit's hut, he ordered his knights to stay back at a

distance, and he rode the last section of trail alone.

 

The king found the hermit digging in his garden. The old man greeted

him but continued digging. The king told the hermit that he had come

to find answers to his three questions. The hermit listened but gave

no answer and continued working. The king observed that the hermit was

frail and elderly and that the work was very difficult for him. The

king offered to take over the digging, and the hermit allowed it.

 

The king dug for one hour. Then he repeated the question, but the

hermit did not answer. He worked again for another hour, and then

repeated his questions with the same results. This continued for a few

more hours until the sun began to sink low in the sky. Finally the

king got discouraged. " I came to you for answers wise man. If you have

none, tell me and I will return home. "

 

Just then someone came running up the path. They turned to see a man

with his hands pressed to his stomach and blood flowing from between

them. He dropped to the ground at the king's feet.

 

The king and the hermit knelt down and began tending to the man. The

king washed and bandaged the man's wounds. The blood continued to flow

so he had to change the bandages. The king also helped the hermit to

get fresh water, and to help the man to drink.

 

Finally the man slept and did not wake until the next morning. The

king too slept upon the ground, waking often to watch over the man. In

the morning the man woke up and looked at the king.

 

" Forgive me, " he said to the king.

 

" You have nothing to forgive me for, " the king answered.

 

" Oh, but I do, " he said. " You were my enemy, and I had sworn to take

revenge on you for killing my brother and taking my land. I knew that

you were coming here today and I decided to kill you on the trail. But

when you did not return for many hours I left my hideout to find you.

Your guards recognized me and wounded me. I escaped them but I would

have bled to death if you had not cared for me. I meant to kill you

but now you have saved my life. If I live I shall gladly serve you for

the rest of my days. "

 

The king was so happy to have been reconciled with an old enemy that

he immediately forgave him and promised to return his land. Then the

king called for his knights to carry the man back to his castle to be

cared for by his own doctor.

 

After the wounded man had gone, the king asked the hermit once more if

he would not give him the answer to his question.

 

" Your questions have already been answered. " the hermit replied.

 

" But how? " the king answered, perplexed.

 

" How? " repeated the hermit.

 

" If you had not taken pity on my weakness yesterday and helped me

instead of returning home, that man would have ambushed and killed you

on the trail. Therefore, the most important time was when you were

digging my garden beds; and I was the most important person; and the

most important thing to do was to do good for me. Later, when the man

came running to us, the most important thing to do was to care for

him. If you had not bound up his wounds he would have died without

making peace with you. Therefore the most important person was that

man, and what you did was the most important thing and the right time

was the time when you were doing it. "

 

" You see, the most important time is always the present moment. It is

the only time that is important because it is the only time that we

have control over. The past we can only look back on and wish that we

had done differently. The future we can only imagine. The most

important person is always the one you are with in the present moment,

and the only important deed is the deed that does what is best for

others. "