January 16th, 2014 JUST FOR TODAY, I will not strive to gain the whole world at the expense of my own soul. Today, in pertinent regard, I distinctly recall a story related to me by my Egyptian tourist guide, Hussein Zharafi, one steamy afternoon, at one of the side walk tables of a Cairo cafe. The annals of ancient world history present us with the fascinating tale of one of the Emperors of the old Ottoman Empire, named Abdullah. Legend has it that he was extremely wealthy, having fiercely and valiantly fought many battles, and in victory, annexed the lands and fortunes of the nations he had conquered and made vassals of. In his rewarding career of war mongering, his acquisitive propensity was not limited to the material, as one of the products of his military conquests was an inevitably rich harem, as he ended up marrying four women. His fourth wife was named Ameenat, and he lived her the most. He festooned her with rich robes and the rarest of ornaments and precious stones. He also treated her to the finest, and the most mouth-watering delicacies the palace had on offer. Indeed, she was the apple of his eye, and she lacked for nothing. He also loved his third wife, Rasheedat, a stunning beauty of Abyssinian descent. Considering her one the most glorious prizes of his military adventures, he took a particular delight in showing her off to the Kings of neighboring lands. However, he lived with the daily dread that she would, one day, run of with another man, and so he kept her properly sequestered from the world. To an even milder degree, he loved his second wife, Ahmrat, a very wise lady of Persian descent. Having been raised in the Imperial palace of her own land, she was conversant with the intrigues and power play of palace life. Because of this, she became his close confidant.Whenever Emperor Abdullah faced a challenge, he could confide in her, and she, more often than not, would proffer a wise solution to the problem. The Emperor’s first wife, the elderly and mature Seembiat, as is usually the case in a harem, was a very loyal consort and had invested tremendous effort and energy in maintaining his wealth and kingdom over the years. Tragically, however, he did not love her in the least, and although she loved him profoundly, he hardly took notice of her! One day, the great Emperor fell severely ill. Doctors were summoned from all over the Empire, and beyond, but no one could quite fathom what the old man’s ailment was. Eventually, he realized it was only a matter of days before he would be called to join his ancestors. He gave serious thought to the life of luxurious indulgence he would be leaving behind, and a pall of sadness came over him. He mused silently to himself, “I have four wives with me now, but when I die, I’ll be all alone. How unfortunate that would be! He sent for Ameenat, his fourth wife. Emperor: “I have loved you the most out of all my wives. I have endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great attention on you. Now that I’m dying, I lovingly request that you follow me and keep me company in the great beyond.” Ameenat: “Absolutely no way! Life is too sweet! replied Ameenat, and she walked out on the Emperor, and away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife into his heart. The sad Emperor then sent for Rasheedat, his second wife. Emperor: “Rasheedat, I have loved you all my life. Now that I am dying, will you follow me and keep me company?” Rasheedat: “No! Life is too good! When you die, I’m going to remarry!” The Emperor went cold with despair. With some hope still remaining in his heart, he summoned his second wife. Emperor: “You have always been my closest confidant, and I have have always turned to you for counsel, even far and above my Prime Minister.You have always been there for me. When I die, will you come with me so that I can continue to have the benefit of your wisdom?” Ahmrat: “I’m sorry, my husband, this is one problem I can’t help you with. This time, you are on your own! At the very most, I can escort you to your grave.” Her cold and detached response struck him like a bolt of lightning. The poor Emperor was devastated. And then as he lay on his dying bed, crestfallen, a voice called out: “I’ll go with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go, even to the great beyond.” The Emperor looked up, and there was his first wife, Seembiat. She was very skinny and physically emaciated from malnutrition and neglect. Profound grief and remorse gripped the Emperor’s heart like a vice. Emperor: “I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!” And Seembiat held onto his hand as he breathed his last. In truth, I now know that my life can draw a relevant corollary from this story. Unwittingly, I seem to have four wives in my life. My fourth wife is my body. No matter how much time and effort I lavish on making it look resplendent, it is inevitable that it will leave me when I die. My third wife is wealth, which, when I die, will will pass on to others who, in some instances, may even be waiting impatiently for this inheritance. My second wife is family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for me, the farthest they can stay by my side is the grave side. My first wife is my soul. Like most people, I sometimes neglect my soul in pursuit of wealth, power and the transient pleasures of this world. Yet, my soul is the only entity that will follow me wherever I go. ACTION EXERCISE Today, invite you into the conscious realization of one fact: The soul that has no real aim loses itself. This is because, if it is well with your soul, you have everything that really matters. If, on the other hand, it is not well with your soul, then nothing else matters. The Book of Life says: What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?’ Cultivate, strengthen and cherish your soul now, for it is the only part of you that will follow you to, and continue with you, throughout eternity. Dr. Yomi Garnett theglobalinstituteinc
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 17:33:35 +0000
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