To Whom God Gives
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Blog Post #57
Spirit Divine, bless me, that I may remember that all goodness in life flows from Thee.
T0 Whom God Gives
King Akbar (1556-1605) was a great emperor who was known for his benevolence and for fostering religious tolerance among the many diverse religions within his kingdom. In pomp and splendor, he would parade down the boulevard in his elegantly appointed horse-drawn carriage, often stopping to speak to those along the procession route.
On one such occasion, the sight of two blind men begging on the side of the road caught King Akbar’s attention. He ordered the driver to stop in front of the first one, who repeatedly said in a loud voice, “To whom the king gives, he alone can be rich.” When the carriage stopped in front of the second blind man, the king heard, in an equally loud voice, “To whom God gives, he alone can be rich.”
For many weeks, whenever King Akbar was on the boulevard he heard the two blind men saying their respective petitions: one, “To whom the king gives, he alone can be rich” and the other, “To whom God gives, he alone can be rich.”
It was indeed very flattering for King Akbar to hear: “To whom the king gives, he alone can be rich.” He ordered the palace bakers to make a large loaf of bread filled with solid gold coins. The king then asked his royal messenger to delivered it to the blind man who said, “To whom the king gives, he alone can be rich. The other blind man, the one who said, “To whom God gives, he alone can be rich” was dutifully ignored.
Shortly thereafter, King Akbar was returning from a rejuvenating retreat deep within the kingdom’s dense forest. He was surprised to encounter the blind man who had been given the gold-filled loaf of bread sitting on the boulevard near the palace, still voicing his petition, “To whom the king gives, he alone can be rich.”
The King halted the carriage and inquired, “What did you do with the bread that I gave you?” The blind man replied, “You Royal Highness, the bread you gave me was very heavy and not well baked, so I sold it to the other blind man for twelve cents. I was happy to get even that much money for it.”
The King looked around for the other blind man but he was nowhere to be seen. A kind passerby informed King Akbar that the other blind man was blessed with good fortune: his wife found gold inside a loaf of bread and they bought a new house.
Humbleness overwhelmed King Akbar as he realized what had happened. He told the blind man in front of him, “I gave you something but God gave it to the other fellow. From now on, please make to whom God gives, he alone can be rich your petition.”
Peace Affirming Prayer
Peace fills my mind and flows through all my thoughts.
Peace fills my heart and flows through all my love.
Peace fills my soul and goodwill flows to all.
Peace fills my being and permeates all my activities.
Peace within. Peace without. Peace everywhere.
Peace in my mind. Peace in my heart. Peace in my soul.
Peace in me. Peace in my home. Peace in my country. Peace in my world.
Peace everywhere.
Amen.
Ukrainian folklore characterizes pysanky as a symbolic, talismanic writing that invokes a higher Universal Power for help, while believing with faithful certainty that It will. The contemporary version of this characterization is a paper-and-pen journaling practice called prayer writing that develops a personal relationship with God.
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