~~~ Four companions ~~~

Once upon a time, there was this princess who had four buddies. She loved the fourth friend the most and gifted him rich robes and treated him to the finest of delicacies. She gave him nothing but the best.

She also loved the third ally very much and was always showing him off to neighboring kingdoms. However, she feared that one day he would leave her for another.

She also loved her second acquaintance. He was her confidante and was always kind, considerate and patient with her. Whenever this princess faced a problem, she could confide in him, and he would help her get through difficult times.

The princess’s first companion was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions to maintaining her wealth and kingdom. However, she did not love him. Although he loved her deeply, she hardly took notice of him.

One day, the princess fell ill and she knew her time was limited. She thought of her luxurious life and pondered, “I now have four friends, but when I die, I’ll be all alone.”

So, she asked the fourth friend, “I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered you with care. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?”
“No way!” replied the fourth friend and he walked away without another word.
His answer cut like a sharp knife right into her heart.

The sad princess then asked the third ally, “I loved you all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?”
“No,” replied the third ally. “Life is too good! When you die, I’m going to marry someone else!”
Her heart sank and turned cold.

She then asked the second acquaintance, “I have always turned to you for help and you’ve always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!” replied the second acquaintance. “At the most, I can only walk with you to your grave.”
His answer struck her like a bolt of lightning, and the princess was devastated.

Then, a voice called out: “I’ll go with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.”
The princess looked up, and there was her first companion. He was very skinny as he suffered from malnutrition and neglect.
Greatly grieved, the princess said, “I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!”

Moral: We have four friends in our lives:
The fourth friend is the BODY. No matter how much time and effort we put into making it look good, it will leave us when we die.
The third friend is POSSESSIONS, STATUS and WEALTH. When we die, it will all go to others.
The second friend is our FAMILY and FRIENDS. No matter how much they have been there for you, the furthest they can stay by you is up to the grave.
And, the first friend is our SOUL—often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us.