The Three Questions Of The Emperor

Written by Dhammacaro on 03/25/2007

This story I read in the book by Ajahn Bahmavamso, “Be happy” (ชวนมาม่วนชื่น). He said that the three questions of the emperor was a story he read when he was a school boy; from the collection of stories written by Leo Tolstoy. Here is the story he told:

Once upon a time, there was an emperor who had been searching for a philosophy of life so that he could rule his country in a peaceful way. He needed wisdom for his rule. He set three questions by which he was puzzled. These are the three questions;

1. When is the most important time?
2. Who is the most important person?
3. What is the most important thing?

He could not find the right answers to those questions. He consulted with many religious teachers and philosophers, but he wasn’t pleased with their answers.

Then he decided to leave the palace to search for the answers, for himself. He met many people and asked them the three questions, but they could not give him the right answers. Until, one day, the emperor met a wanderer and he put the three questions to him. He answered the emperor like this-

When is the most important time? Now is the most important time.
Who is the most important person? The person, with whom we are now, is the most important.
What is the most important thing? To care is the most important thing.

These were the right answers that the emperor was searching for. Then he went back to his country and applied those answers in his rule; he paid attention to his work at the present time, he was nice with his population and he took very good care for them, as much as he could. He ruled his country with the three principles and his people were very happy.

Let’s reflect on the three questions and answers;

1. When is the most important time? Now is the most important time.
2. Who is the most important person? The person, with whom we are now, is the most important.
3. What is the most important thing? To care is the most important thing.

“The most important time is right now” is true, but we always forget that. We like to spend most of our time in the past and future. We regret what we have done. It is not wrong to think of the past, but not for regret, it should be for development. Sometimes we panic about what has not come yet. We should bring our attention to the present moment, just right now. There is a process that we can practise; being in the present moment; we just sit still, observing the breath or the sensation of the rising and falling of the abdomen; what is coming in and what is going out. When we notice that our attention, or mind, has drifted from the breath, or the sensation of the rising and falling of the abdomen, we bring our attention, or mind, back, gently, to the breath or the sensation of the rising and falling of the abdomen. Keep doing this, or tether our attention to the breath, or the sensation of the rising and falling of the abdomen, then we can be with the most important time, the present moment.

“The person, with whom we are now, is the most important” this person we always ignore. Who is the real person whom we are always with? It is ourselves, as we spend the time with ourselves, more or less. ‘How much importance do we give to our life?’ was asked, sometimes we are not sure about the answer. Sometimes we ignore our life but pay attention to that of others. Because of that attention, our life; happiness and security, depends on others. As we know people are different and they change, so we cannot expect that they will please us all the time. The important thing to do is self study, to be our own refuge and to give importance to ourselves and find time for learning and practising for the better.

“To care is the most important thing” means to take care of ourselves, our family, our society, our nation and our world. This is the most important thing as we live together, even if we are alone, we have to take care of ourselves. ‘Care’ is a good word which can be divided into three; to care (loving-kindness), be careful (mindfulness) and caring (generosity). This is the best answer among the three answers, growing care, carefulness and caring, in our mind, and spreading them to others.

In conclusion, I would like to repeat the three questions and answers once again so that we can reflect on them and apply them in our lives;

1. When is the most important time? Now is the most important time.
2. Who is the most important person? The person, with whom we are now, is the most important.
3. What is the most important thing? To care is the most important thing.

Contemplate them, consider them, if they are good and beneficial to life, apply them in life. if they are not good, just put them aside.

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