Ini adalah salah satu kisah inspirasional tentang integritas (kejujuran).
Pernah ada seorang kaisar di Timur Jauh yang sudah tua dan tahu sudah datang waktunya untuk memilih penggantinya. Ia tidak memilih dari salah seorang asistennya atau salah satu dari anak-anaknya sendiri, tetapi ia memutuskan untuk melakukan sesuatu dengan cara yang berbeda.
Ia memanggil semua pemuda di dalam kerajaan bersama-sama dalam satu hari. Dia berkata, "Ini telah datang waktunya bagi saya untuk turun dan memilih kaisar berikutnya. Saya telah memutuskan untuk memilih salah satu dari kalian." Anak-anak terkejut! Tetapi, sang kaisar melanjutkan. "Aku akan memberikan masing-masing dari kalian sebuah biji hari ini. Satu benih. Ini adalah benih yang sangat istimewa. Aku ingin kau pulang, menanam benih, disiram dan kembali ke sini satu tahun dari hari ini dengan apa yang Anda telah tumbuhkan dari satu biji ini. Aku akan menilai tanaman yang Anda berikan untuk saya, dan yang terbaik saya pilih dan akan menjadi kaisar kerajaan berikutnya! "
Ada seorang anak laki-laki yang bernama Ling berada di sana pada hari itu dan ia, seperti yang lain, menerima benih. Ia pulang ke rumah dan kepada ibunya dengan penuh semangat menceritakan keseluruhan cerita. Dia membantunya mendapatkan panci dan tanah penyemaian, lalu ia menanam benih dan menyiramnya dengan hati-hati. Setiap hari ia menyirami itu dan memeriksa untuk melihat apakah telah tumbuh.
Setelah sekitar tiga minggu, beberapa pemuda lainnya mulai berbicara tentang bibit dan tanaman yang sudah mulai tumbuh. Ling terus pulang dan memeriksa benihnya, tapi tidak pernah tumbuh. Tiga minggu, empat minggu, lima minggu berlalu. Masih belum apa-apa.
Setiap saat orang lain selalu membicarakan tanaman mereka, namun Ling tidak punya tanaman, dan ia merasa gagal. Enam bulan berlalu, masih yang ada hanya pot. Dia hanya tahu bahwa ia telah membunuh benih. Orang lain pohon-pohon dan tanamannya tinggi, tapi dia punya apa-apa. Ling tidak berkata apa-apa kepada teman-temannya, namun. Dia hanya terus menunggu benih untuk tumbuh.
Setahun akhirnya berlalu dan semua pemuda dari kerajaan membawa tanaman mereka kepada kaisar untuk diperiksa. Ling mengatakan pada ibunya bahwa ia tidak akan membawa pot kosong. Tapi dia mendorongnya untuk pergi, dan untuk membawa pot, dan harus jujur tentang apa yang terjadi. Ling merasa malu, tapi ia tahu ibunya benar. Ia membawa potnya yang kosong ke istana.
Ketika Ling tiba, ia kagum melihat berbagai jenis tanaman tumbuh milik seluruh pemuda lain. Semua tanaman indah, dalam segala bentuk dan ukuran. Ling menaruh potnya yang kosong di lantai dan banyak pemuda lain menertawakannya. Beberapa pemuda menyindir kepadanya dan berkata, "Hei coba lihat ,bagus."
Ketika kaisar tiba, ia mengamati ruangan dan menyapa orang-orang muda. Ling hanya mencoba untuk bersembunyi di belakang. "Wah, tanamannya sudah besar, pohon-pohon dan bunga Anda telah tumbuh," kata sang kaisar. "Hari ini, salah satu dari kalian akan ditunjuk kaisar berikutnya!"
Tiba-tiba, sang kaisar melihat Ling di belakang ruangan dengan potnya yang kosong. Ia memerintahkan para penjaga untuk membawanya ke depan. Ling ketakutan. "Kaisar tahu aku gagal! Mungkin dia akan membunuhku!"
Ketika Ling sampai di depan, Kaisar menanyakan namanya. "Nama saya Ling," jawabnya. Semua anak-anak tertawa dan mengolok-oloknya. Kaisar meminta semua orang tenang. Ia menatap Ling, dan kemudian mengumumkan kepada orang banyak, "Lihatlah kaisar baru Anda! Namanya adalah Ling!" Ling tak mempercayainya. Ling tidak bisa menumbuhkan benihnya. Bagaimana ia bisa menjadi kaisar baru?
Kemudian kaisar berkata, "Satu tahun yang lalu dari hari ini, aku memberi semua orang di sini sebuah benih. Aku bilang Anda untuk mengambil benih, tanaman itu, menyirami, dan membawanya kembali kepadaku hari ini. Tapi aku memberi kalian semua benih yang telah direbus dan tidak akan tumbuh. Kalian semua, kecuali Ling, telah membawa saya tanaman dan pohon-pohon dan bunga. Bila Anda menemukan bahwa benih tidak akan tumbuh, Anda menggantinya dengan benih lain yang kuberikan padamu. Ling adalah satu-satunya dengan keberanian dan kejujuran untuk membawakan pot dengan benih yang saya berikan. Oleh karena itu, ia adalah orang yang akan menjadi kaisar baru! "
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Sumber artikel, dari buku:
Sudarmono, Dr.(2010). Mutiara Kalbu Sebening Embun Pagi, 1001 Kisah Sumber Inspirasi, Idea Press, Yogyakarta. Hal. 159-161. ISBN 978-6028-686-402.
The Emperor and The Seed
By Author Unknown (thanks to Faz for submitting) An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."
The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here after one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"
One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.
Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "What great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory. If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy. If you plant patience, you will reap improvements. If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.
But
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust. If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness. If you plant pride, you will reap destruction. If you plant envy, you will reap trouble. If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation. If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation. If you plant greed, you will reap loss. If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies. If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles. If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.
By Author Unknown (thanks to Faz for submitting) An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."
The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here after one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"
One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.
Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "What great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory. If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy. If you plant patience, you will reap improvements. If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.
But
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust. If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness. If you plant pride, you will reap destruction. If you plant envy, you will reap trouble. If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation. If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation. If you plant greed, you will reap loss. If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies. If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles. If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.
THE EMPEROR'S SEEDS
 |
An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." His children were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today, one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!" |  |
 | One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Everyday he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by; still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed grow. A year finally went by and all of the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. |
Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot but his mother said he must be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful -- in all shape and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kids laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try." When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" |  |
 | All of the sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!" When Ling got to the front, the emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? |
Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!" So be careful what you plant now, it will determine what you will reap tomorrow. |  |
Illustrations: Varun Rai, SSSHSS.
- Heart2Heart Team
http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_04/01FEB06/the-emperors-seeds.htm
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