Everything comes for the best

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I am going to tell you this Indian story that accompanies me in everyday life. Long ago there lived a great Raja (king) loved by his people. It must be said that he was wise and good. He had a loyal advisor by his side, an old man he had grown up with. And this man used to repeat “everything happens for the best” in all circumstances. One day, the Raja, during a tiger hunt, is unhorsed by his frightened horse in front of the cornered beast. The latter, to save his skin, badly claws the king’s chest.The beast runs away, the hunter is angry. His painful injury torments him but his adviser repeats to him that “everything happens for the best”. However, that day, instead of appeasing him, this sentence irritated our king who had his adviser thrown into the palace jails: “I had almost defeated this tiger, he managed to hurt me and save himself and you all you find to tell me is that everything happens for the best? Go and rot in prison, we’ll see if you still think so after that!”. The next day, he decides to go hunting again, just to clear his mind. He is tracking a deer but it flees into the depths of the jungle and our Raja, not wanting to let it escape, goes into the woods in pursuit. While tracking his prey, he is intercepted by a band of Kali devotees. This practice is long gone nowadays but, in that distant time, the worshipers of the black goddess honored her by sacrificing humans to her. Seeing that their hostage is a Raja, the fanatics rejoice over the beautiful offering they have caught for their goddess. They bring him back to their lair in order to prepare him but when they undress him to wash him before performing their dark ritual, they see this ugly gash on the king’s chest. “But you are defiled, you are not whole! This wound makes you impure; you are therefore not worthy of being sacrificed to Kali! Go away quickly!”. And they release him. The Raja, who had thought he was living his last moments, escapes as quickly as possible and returns to the palace. His injury saved him! Magnanimous, he frees his faithful adviser on the spot. “Once again, you were right, if I hadn’t been injured, I would certainly be dead by now. As far as I’m concerned, I understand that this injury happened to me for the best. . Accept my apologies for not having been able to listen to you and for being so unjustly carried away. However, a question torments me. For you, where is the best thing to have spent these few days in the dungeon?” And the counselor smiled before replying: “Sire, if you had not thrown me in prison, I would have come hunting; I would have chased the stag in the jungle at your side. I was certainly a less beautiful catch than your majesty for these bloodthirsty devotees but I was not hurt!” From that day on, the Raja never again questioned the words of this wise man…


		
		
			
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