The emperor loved floor vases so much that he furnished his chambers with the most beautiful of them - with gold painting and precious inlay. The emperor instructed his beloved servant to carefully wipe the expensive vases and jugs and rearrange them from time to time.
One day this servant accidentally broke a vase. The emperor was furious and ordered the execution of the poor servant. All the courtiers, feeling sorry for the poor man, tried to beg forgiveness for the unlucky servant, but to no avail. However, the emperor promised to spare the servant’s life on the condition that there was a craftsman who would glue the fragments together and restore the vase.
But the craftsmen, just looking at the pile of fragments, sighed and shrugged their shoulders helplessly. Meanwhile, the servant said goodbye to life and prayed that the emperor would change his anger to mercy.
And at this time the wandering master Pokéda entered the city. He heard the story of the broken vase and the condemned servant, came to the palace and said that he was ready to correct the situation.
People considered this master a saint, and everyone decided that he would use some kind of magic, a special mantra, to restore the emperor’s favorite vase.
Master Pokedu brought him to the emperor's chambers and showed him the fragments of the vase. But the master looked not so much at the fragments as at the gallery of expensive vases that were made by the best craftsmen of the Celestial Empire. The Poké Master then asked for a stick to be brought to him. His wish was fulfilled.
The gallery was crowded with courtiers, ministers and servants. Everyone wanted to see the magic that the famous master would use and hear the mantra.
Master Pokéda, meanwhile, smiled brightly at the emperor and, taking a stick in his hands, began to quickly hit all the other vases.
For some time those present, as well as the emperor himself, stood dumbfounded, believing that breaking vases was part of magic. The emperor was the first to come to his senses.
- Master! What have you done!
“I have fulfilled my promise, Emperor.”
- You promised to glue the vase...
- I didn’t promise this. I said I would fix the situation and I did. There were two dozen vases in the hall. By breaking these vases, I saved two dozen people from death.
- What people?
- Those who in the future could break these vases.
The courtiers had never seen their emperor so angry. He ordered the master to be tied up and trampled underfoot by elephants.
They brought an elephant. The master lay tied up on the floor. Warriors surrounded the execution scene to prevent unexpected crowd intervention. Everyone saw that Master Pokeda was lying completely motionless and heard him quietly muttering some kind of mantra. The elephant did not move. The servant spurred the elephant with a rod. The elephant didn't move. The servant spurred the elephant on again. The elephant backed away, then turned around and walked in the other direction. The crowd gasped.
“Stop,” the emperor shouted. - Take the elephant away immediately and untie the Poke!
The masters were untied. The emperor ordered him to approach and said so
“Master Pokéda, I promise that I will forgive you and forgive the servant, if only you will share your secret with me.” I realized that you know some mantra to calm the elephant.
“Oh no, I don’t know a mantra to calm an elephant.” I only know a mantra to calm myself down.
- Tell me!
- Certainly. There is only one correct mantra - the mantra of love. O Emperor, I believe that we are all parts of God. And you, and I, and the elephant, and the warriors with swords, and this crowd - we are his products. Everything that happens is part of his great plan. I love God and that means I can’t help but love you and this elephant. As I lay tied up on the ground, I thought that this elephant is a beautiful, kind and wise animal. I loved this elephant and admired its strength. I thought that you are the greatest of emperors and the wisest of rulers. My heart was filled with admiration and love for you. I wished happiness and goodness to both you and the elephant. If I allowed hatred and fear to take over me, they would multiply many times over, and all your bad qualities would prevail. The elephant did not touch me: animals feel love more keenly than people.
“How could you love me, who sentenced you to death?” Because you actually taught me a lesson, which is that a broken vase is nothing compared to human life.
How could you admire my wisdom if I wanted to kill a man over a pile of soulless shards?
- Wow! - said the Poked master. “The mantra works even better than I expected.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru