There is a beautiful tale that describes a beggar who spent his entire life living under a single tree. He would go to the village every day to ask for some dry bread crumbs to eat. The beggar resided beneath the same tree for forty years while pleading with passersby to give him some food. He grew weaker day by day before eventually dying gently one day.
The town opted to bury his remains under the tree where he had spent his life after discovering him. They discovered a treasure chest—a chest full of gold, diamonds, and jewelry—just six inches below as they started to dig to bury his ashes deeply.
We often act like this beggar in life, frantically looking and asking for the things we need to have fulfilling lives. We are looking and longing for god, happiness, and serenity. We travel there and beg there. We look about both here and there. But we still struggle to find that valuable and essential calm and contentment.
If only we could take a moment to be still, look within, and remember that the treasure is inside of you, coursing through your veins.
It is not a “thing” that must be found or acquired from the outside. The holy joy, however, resides within you.In your blood, your width, and your heart.
Kanchan Oli
Grade 9