sekkoon: March 2006

Friday, March 24, 2006

The Emperor and The Seed

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 t he 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 substit
uted 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.

So be careful what you plant now, It will determine
what you will reap
tomorrow, The seeds you now scatter, Will make life
worse or better,
your life or the ones who will come after. Yes,
someday, you will enjoy
the fruits, or you will pay for the choices you
plant today.

# posted by Sek Koon @ 11:24 PM 0 comments

Beautiful Butterflies!

# posted by Sek Koon @ 10:33 PM 0 comments

This peoms are from Star newspaper

A WALK TO REMEMBER

Back when women wore feathers in their hair,
Back when I was young and fair,
Back when there soft, spotless sand,
Back when we held each other’s hand.

Step-by-step across the sand,
Fastened tightly hand-in-hand,
Moment by moment, time goes by,
The time has come to say goodbye.

You’re leaving for a place miles away,
Unreachable like a star so far away,
Seeing you go is the purest of pain,
Will we see each other once again?

The stains of tears you wiped away,
You whispered that all will be okay,
That kiss I wished would last forever,
Is this the last time we’ll be together?

Now time has passed and years gone by,
And buildings have now shot up the sky,
Yet it seems like just yesterday,
When you took my heart away.

Whenever I gaze upon the stars,
I see my diamond from afar,
Whenever I listen to the tide,
I hear our song that will ever abide.

A simple walk on silent night,
Under the moonlight so clear and bright,
A walk of fragrance of love so tender,
Surely a walk to remember forever.

IN A NUTSHELL

Another day, another night,
Another dream of wistful flight.

Another wish, another thought,
Another happy ending sought.

Another heart, another mind,
Another love of hope’s design.

Another soul, another fear,
Another terse goodbye, my dear.

Another day, another night,
Another tear to blur my sight.

Present me the chance just to be,
The beautiful one I want to be,
Give me the taste of being rich,
With power to buy, things I don’t know which.

Grant me my wish to be well known,
Far and wide in every home,
Bless me with the gift of Einstein’s brain,
So no hard work goes down the drain.

I want these things,
Which I cannot get,
But make things,
All the better yet.