There was a rich merchant who had
He loved the 4th wife the most.
He adorned her with rich robes and treated her with the best of luxury.
He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much.
He was very proud of her and always showed her off to his
friends.
However, the merchant was always in great fear of losing her to another man.
He loved his 2nd wife too.
She was a very considerate person, always patient and in fact the
merchant`s confidante.
Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he would always turn to his 2nd wife and she would help him tide through difficult times.
Now, the merchant`s 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions towards maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household.
However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.
One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I`ll be alone. How lonely I`ll be!"
Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I`m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word. The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant`s heart.
The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I`m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I`m going to remarry when you die!" The merchant`s heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you`ve always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I`m sorry, I can`t help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.
Then a voice called out : "I`ll leave with you. I`ll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his 1st wife. She was so skinny, almost as if she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !"
Actually we all have 4 wives in our lives,..
No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it`ll leave us when we die
When we die, they all go to others
No matter how close they had been there for us when we`re alive, the farthest they can stay by us is up to the grave
Often neglected in our pursuit of material wealth and sensual pleasure. It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it`s a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we`re on our deathbed to lament.