Peace
Once
upon a time there was a king named Vikram Pratap Singh. He was kind hearted and
caring his kingdom’s people. He wanted the kingdom’s people to be happy. He
asked many saints and astrologers how to keep his people of the kingdom happy.
One of the saints named Haritmuni advised that if he wanted to get answer of
his question he should do meditation.
The
king went to Himalayas for meditation. After many years, a saint wearing white
clothes appeared while he was meditating. The saint said in a low voice, ‘Vikram’.
The king opened his eyes. He asked his question to the saint. The saint replied,
‘For getting your question’s answer you must like reading books’. He went back
to his kingdom and started reading books. After reading many books, he read a
saying that ‘Peace is the Reason for Happiness’. He understood that only peace
can only bring happiness in his kingdom.
Now, for
making his kingdom feel happy, he must know, “What is peace?” .He held a
meeting in his palace with his courtiers, for understanding the meaning of
peace. His courtiers gave different opinion about peace. But the king was not
satisfied with any of the answers.
After
some days, he decided to go to a jungle to meet a hermit for getting his doubt
clarified. He left his horse and guards back, and went alone in the jungle to
meet the hermit. When he reached the hermit, the hermit was ploughing a field.
After some time king asked his question to hermit. But the hermit continued his
work and did not reply.
After
sometime when hermit completed his work the king again asked in a pleased way ‘What
does the term peace really mean?’ For explaining the king about peace the hermit
made two paintings of peace and asked the king to choose one of them, which
indicates peace.
One
picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering
mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky full of white clouds in it.
The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was
an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Downside of
the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall.
The
king said “The first picture is peaceful but the second is not at all peaceful.
But the hermit said “The second picture indicates the peace”. “Why” the king
said. “Look properly!” the hermit said. The king looked closely, he saw behind
the waterfall, a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother
bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat
the mother bird on her nest in perfect peace.
The
hermit explained why he selected second picture “Because peace does not mean to
be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be
in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the
real meaning of peace.”
The
king understood the meaning of peace. He went back to his kingdom and explained
to its people of kingdom that if you have peace you can get happiness all
around you. After that people of the kingdom lived in harmony and with happiness;
and the king also become happy after seeing his people of kingdom happy.
In
the real sense, the saint Haritmuni and the hermit were the same person and
they were the forms of God. God was impressed by the king’s devotion and came
in different forms to the king.
Name: Kishan Singh
Class 10
Session 2017-18
