One day, a king decided to test his most trusted minister, Benaiah. He said, “Benaiah, there is a magical ring that makes a happy man sad and a sad man happy. Find it for me. You have six months.” Benaiah had no idea where to find the ring. He still set off in search of it. Time passed. On the night before the completion of six months, he passed by a gold merchant in a village. Benaiah asked the merchant, “Have you heard about a magical ring that makes a happy man sad and a sad man happy?” The merchant smiled at him. He then took out a plain gold ring from his bag and engraved something on it. Benaiah took the ring and went to the king’s palace. The king accepted the ring with a smile. But as soon as he read the inscription, his smile vanished. The merchant had written, ‘This too shall pass’. The king was humbled. He realised that nothing was permanent in this world. All his wisdom, fabulous wealth and tremendous power were temporary! One day, he would die, leaving it all.
Nothing Stays for Ever
