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The King and the Guru
Many years ago, a king sent a letter to the leader of the Sikhs. It read,
Dear Guru
I am told you are the wisest man in my kingdom. I shall come and speak to you tomorrow. I hope you will be able to teach me something useful. Please make sure everything is ready for me.
Your King
The Guru wrote back to the King, telling him that he was welcome to visit and that, by the following day, everything would be ready for the royal visit.
The following day came and the King, with all his ministers and servants, set off from his palace to the Sikh temple. When they arrived there, the King was disgusted. There were no cheering crowds lining the streets, no band playing the national anthem and no red carpet for the King to walk on. The King demanded to see the Guru immediately.
"I'm sorry," said one of the Guru's helpers, "the Guru can't see you until after you have eaten".
The king was furious, but the thought of the great feast which would be waiting for him in the temple helped to calm him down.
The king stepped down from his chariot and went into the temple. Inside, there was a great number of people all sitting on the floor, waiting to be served their food. The King looked around. There was no throne for him.
Noticing his embarrassment, a little child took the King's hand and led him to a space on the floor. Reluctantly, the King sat down amongst all the other people.
By now, the King was very hungry. He imagined all the rich food that had been prepared for him - roast meat in thick rich sauces washed down with the finest wine. But when the food was served, the King was given the same as everyone else - a dish of vegetables and a drink of water. His gnawing hunger forced the King to eat.
During the meal, the people next to the King began to speak to him about their lives. They told him their problems and their ideas of how he could rule the country better. The king listened with great interest. He had never heard things like this before.
"When I get back to the palace," he told the people, "I am going to make some big changes." When the meal was finished, the King was told, "The Guru is ready to see with you now."
The King answered, "I do not need to speak with the Guru now. He has already taught me many new things today. Please thank him for me."
And with that, the King said goodbye to the people, climbed aboard his chariot and drove back to the palace.
Years later, everyone in the country agreed that, ever since the day that the King had visited the Guru, he had become a much better ruler.
