Thought that melted the mind

A sculpture in snow – power of human thought

Once upon a time there was an emperor, who patronized arts and artists.

The emperor rightfully took pride in having most creative people to beautify his kingdom.

With advancing age one day the emperor died and was succeeded by his son as emperor

The new Emperor was not so nobly inclined towards the Arts and artists

He revokes their grants and commissions of all artists.

But over the years, the new emperor grew in his status and felt like displaying himself as accomplished ruler.

The new Emperor decided to invite other kings and noblemen to celebrate some occasion.

He told his ministers to fall short in nothing to display the grandeur.

One old minister suggests about display of riches in art and culture; the emperor willingly agrees to it.

The minister invites some artists and sculptures that somehow stayed put despite lack of royal patronage and ask them to contribute their new creations for the occasion.

The time was too short and obviously all but one, the respected, declined to come out with anything except old and known creations.

The old sculpture asked for 2 days period prior to the meet for his contribution.

When he was told about the date of meeting, the sculpture gathered few of his assistants in the sideway of the palace and started working on his scheme.

It was winter and was snowing persistently. The chills in the air were good times for indoor meet of nobles.

The sculptures team worked for two days and nights and created most beautiful statues with magnificent surrounding – all in snow – a dream of a beauty and happiness the kingdom can offer to its people.

The snow offered the best maneuverability for the beauty that the respected old sculpture had ever dreamt in his mind.

When the art was shown to the emperor; he was astonished and felt why he did not do it earlier in marble to show all his guests the riches of his kingdom.

On the day meeting the all the emperor’s guests were shown this magnificent piece of human expression of thought and imagination.

Everybody was surprised to see beauty in the ice and the rich cultural tastes of the emperor; all conveyed their feelings of appreciation to the emperor.

Emperor, pleased from the bottom of his heart allowed the creation for all his citizens to see.

In their own way everybody appreciated the change in emperor’s thinking.

Emperor was overwhelmed by this transformation by a simple work of 2/3 days with a snow which used to be hated for the chill, illness and inconvenience.

Within 2-3 days the Sun started shining, the emperor, when he saw one morning, that the statues have started melting and flowing to gutters.

By the evening nothing was left in the place.

Everybody, including the emperor, except the old sculpture and the minister, was in a state of shock – a big loss of beauty and a source of happiness.

The emperor realized that he should not have been so inimical to the beauty, art and the artists, he asked his minster to reinstate his father’s ways of patronizing the creative ways of art for creations to identify his era.

The emperor asked the sculpture to see him, emperor thanked him for his creativity and expressed his grief for loss of such a beautiful art work.

The old sculpture said, “Sire, the things I created are not at all lost, I know you will carry that in your mind till you are alive. You will always be proud that you caused the creation. It will always be alive within your mind.”

This is a story – a memory from long past. Today I know no more of the origin – but my guess that it is from renaissance period from Italy.

The beauty, when one learns and understands, teach one to love and appreciate it, preserve it; one seeks more of that all the time.

No one who experiences this will ever of think of destroying it. That’s how the world becomes beautiful.

This is subtle story of creativity of mind, not simply in making the statues, but a change no other thing could have achieved.

Happiness is created and it lasts longer when the mind looks at ordinary moments in life with a new vision and mobilizes patience, time and energy for such creations.

Many will remember what is written about every task as Yagnya – a ritual with good intents and ways – such things happen.

I remember Norman Vincent Peel advising one of his beneficiary – housewife – to pray while cooking her every meal,’ I am pouring my heart in it, I pray all in my family should enjoy this and let their energies and thoughts emerge to be good like this food and let them desire such things all along and let me have such approach throughout my life.’ It is a content that is summarized in a present context and not a quote.

One will certainly benefit if he or she knows more about “Yoga Karmasu Koushalyam” A sanctity of thought behind every action from Bhagwat Geeta in this context.

The beauty, like most other things, is a matter of time. It may be here one moment, hour or few days. It will never last , in most cases, for long. What’s important is the vision and values one carries about them in the mind.

Images – thanks to http://www.slideshare.net and its contributors www.flickr.com and its contributors. http://my.opera.com drishti~cone Request I do not know the source of the story. If anybody knows about it, I may be in a better position to put it up.