The Kingdom of the Inner Self
Once upon a time, there was a king who loved the beauty of the stars and the depth of the sea so much that one day he decided to create the greatest legacy one could imagine. He wanted to leave his children not just an ordinary kingdom of gold and lands, but a kingdom of wisdom that lies deep within all living things.
One morning, he called his three oldest sons to him and said, “My children, each of you shall bring me the most precious thing you can find. But remember, the treasure you seek will teach you more about yourselves than about what you wish to possess.”
And so the three sons set out on their journey, each with a different idea of what the king might consider the most precious.
The first son, filled with a spirit of adventure, traveled far and wide. He crossed deserts and forests, fought his way through ice
and flames, refusing to be stopped by anything. Finally, at the edge of the world, he found a crystal, clear as light itself and shimmering in all the colors of the rainbow. He said to himself, “This is it, the shining light! The most precious thing I have ever seen.” Proudly, he made his way home.
The second son set out for the deep waters of the sea. He explored deep ravines and calm reefs, diving through stormy currents and abandoned caves. Eventually, he discovered a pearl in a hidden grotto, its radiant white seeming to penetrate the water itself. He held it tightly and said, “Here is my father’s treasure – this beauty will surpass everything.” He too returned proudly.
The third son, however, allowed himself to be guided by nothing. He wandered through towns and villages, listened to the songs of the people and the stories of the ancients, sat by campfires, and heard the whispers of nature. He collected nothing and sought no possessions. In a quiet moment by the shore of a lake, he realized that the most precious thing had always surrounded him. He had discovered peace and joy within himself, and so he returned home – with empty hands and a fulfilled heart.
When the three sons finally stood before the king, the first two presented their treasures: the shimmering crystal and the pure pearl.
But when the king asked the third son what he had brought, this one only smiled and said, “Father, the most precious thing was neither to be found nor possessed. It lies in the recognition that everything is already part of us.”
The king nodded with a deep smile. “You have found the greatest treasure, my son. For in emptiness lies the whole, and in the whole lies the self.”
And so, the king spoke to his children: “The greatest kingdom is that which you create within yourselves. Go forth and walk upon the earth, for you are the light and the treasure you seek.”
— Pierre Kuchenbecker
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