Most of us have heard of the phrase “this too shall pass”. It is used commonly to speak about the impermanence of things, situations or attributes. It depicts the state or fact of lasting only for a limited period of time.

If you look up on Wikipedia, the origin of this phrase is linked to an eastern folklore. I have included that folklore at the end of this post. What got my attention to this phrase recently is a story that I heard from one of my favorite spiritual teachers. The moment I heard it, I knew I had to share it here.

The story goes like this:

Long ago, lived a sage. He was passing through a kingdom and decided to visit the king. When he met the king, he was appraised of the sad state of affairs of the kingdom. The neighboring kings were planning an attack, the army was not well equipped and the princes were not capable enough. There was a lot of incompetence and unhappiness around. The king asked the sage for advice. The sage simply said, “ Don’t worry , this phase shall pass.” He blessed the king and left.

After many years, the sage returned to the kingdom and found the king to be a happy man. There was peace and prosperity around and he noticed that the princes were managing the kingdom with righteousness. The neighboring kings had become friends. The king asked for his blessings and told the sage that all was well in the kingdom and his family. The sage blessed the king with wishes for good  health and prosperity.  He then smiled and said , “ This too shall pass”.

I loved the story. The impermanence of joy and sorry or success and failure is as much a reality as that of night and day. The point that struck me is that it is impossible to accept one without accepting the other. The moral of the story is gratifying and frustrating at the same time. But we have to understand, accept and make peace with that fact. We do not have a choice.

This story connects deep down with that understanding of the impermanence.

Hope you enjoyed reading it. Please feel free to share such stories in the comment section or as a e-mail to me. I would love to include them in my future blogs. ( with credits to the person who brought it to my notice).

The Persian fable that is linked to the saying “This too shall pass” is as follows:

Source: Wikipedia.

A powerful king asks assembled wise men to create a ring that will make him happy when he is sad. After deliberation the sages hand him a simple ring with the Persian words “This too shall pass” etched on it, which has the desired effect to make him happy when he is sad. It also, however, became a curse for whenever he is happy.

Many versions of this story appears in different folklores .

Again, how can one be true without the other being true. If night turns into day, day also turns into night. That doesn’t mean we spend all our time brooding over it. The idea is only to make us aware of the impermanence of everything in life : Sorrow and Joy.

Introduction

He Is Everywhere 

Letting Go

Thank You

Relocation

Learn To Hiss

A Musk Deer

Speaking The Mind 

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