The King With One Gray Hair A very very long time ago, there were people wholived much longer than they do today. They lived manythousand years. At that time, the Enlightenment Beingwas born as a baby named Makhadeva. He lived 84,000years as a child and crown prince. At the time of ourstory, he had been a young king for 80,000 years. One day, Makhadeva told the royal barber, If yousee any gray hair on my head, you must tell meimmediately! Of course, the barber promised to do so. Another 4,000 years passed, until Makhadeva hadbeen a young king for 84,000 years. Then one day, whilehe was cutting the kings hair, the royal barber saw justone little gray hair on all the kings head. So he said, Ohmy lord, I see one gray hair on your head. The king said,If this be so, pull it out and put it in my hand. Thebarber got his golden tweezers, plucked out the singlelittle gray hair, and put it in the kings hand. At that time, the king still had at least another84,000 years left to live as an old king! Looking at the onegray hair in his hand, he became very afraid of dying. Hefelt like death was closing in on him, as if he were trappedin a burning house. He was so afraid, that the sweat rolleddown his back, and he shuddered. King Makhadeva thought, Oh foolish king, you havewasted all this long life and now you are near death. Youhave made no attempt to destroy your greed and envy, tolive without hating, and to get rid of your ignorance bylearning the truth and becoming wise. |