The Emperor Who Owned Nothing

One day, after becoming enlightened, Gautama Buddha was sitting peacefully under a tree. In those days, there were not many buildings or shelters. Trees provided a cool and comfortable place to sit and rest.

Around the same time, a famous astrologer came to the river to take a bath. As he walked along the riverbank, he noticed some footprints on the ground.

The astrologer was very skilled at reading footprints. He believed that the shape and marks of a person's feet could tell a lot about that person's future.

After looking carefully at the footprints, he was surprised. He believed they belonged to a great emperor, someone who was destined to rule the world.

But he wondered, "Why would an emperor come to such a quiet place near the forest?"

Curious to find out, he followed the footprints. To his surprise, they led him to a monk sitting peacefully under a tree.

The astrologer looked at the monk and became confused.

"How can this be possible?" he thought. "These are the footprints of a great emperor, but this man looks like a simple monk!"

He went closer and asked, "Who are you?"

Buddha calmly replied, "I am nobody. I have no desire to be someone important."

The astrologer was even more confused.

"But your footprints show that you are meant to become an emperor! You are destined to rule the world!"

Buddha smiled and replied, "Yes, I will rule the world, but not by conquering it."

The astrologer could not understand what he meant.

Buddha explained, "There are two ways to make the world yours. One is through conquest, by fighting, defeating others and taking control. But this brings problems, fear and suffering. The other way is through inclusion. When you accept others, care for them and make them feel that they belong, your world becomes bigger and richer."

The astrologer looked at Buddha and said, "But you are a monk. You own nothing. How can you say that the whole world belongs to you?"

Buddha smiled and replied, "I own nothing, and I am nobody. That is why everything belongs to me."

The astrologer was puzzled. He sat down beside Buddha and asked, "How can a person who owns nothing claim to have everything?"

Buddha explained that being a nobody did not mean being useless or unimportant. It meant having no ego, no pride and no need to prove oneself. When a person stops thinking only about himself, he becomes open to everyone and everything around him.

The astrologer spent his time predicting what would happen in people's lives. Buddha asked him, "You spend so much time predicting the future. Have you ever thought about creating the future you want?"

The astrologer had no answer.

Buddha continued, "People often try to predict the future because they do not know how to shape it themselves. Instead of simply waiting to see what will happen, we can make a plan, take action and work towards creating something meaningful."

Then Buddha invited him, "You have spent your life predicting what will happen. Now, come and be a part of my plan. Let us work together to create something meaningful."

The astrologer realised that he was hearing a very different way of looking at life.

Think About It

• You don't need to control others to make a difference in their lives.

• True greatness comes from accepting, including and caring for others.

• Instead of spending all your time worrying about what the future holds, make a plan and work towards the future you want.

• You don't have to prove that you are important. Your actions can make you meaningful to others.

A thought to remember:

Don't just predict your future. Take responsibility for creating it.