I wear this on a ring every day.
It’s one of my most valuable lessons from meditation and breathwork so far.
The saying came from a story I was told by my teacher, SN Goenka:
A rich man died at old age. He left everything to his two sons. The property, the money, possessions, land. Everything. It was divided equally.
When everything was divided, a small package was found. It contained two rings. One was an ordinary silver ring and the other a diamond ring.
The elder brother developed greed. He persuaded the young brother that it must be a family heirloom and therefore as the eldest he should keep it.
The younger brother smiled.
“Alright, be happy. You be happy with the diamond one. I’ll be happy with the silver one”.
They continued with life and all its ups and downs.
When Spring arrived, the older brother with the diamond ring became so elated. But when it left and Winter arrived, he became so depressed. With everything he faced in the world, he would always lose the balance of his mind.
He tried every sleeping pill to quiet his mind but it never worked.
This is the brother with the diamond ring.
The other brother with the ordinary silver ring started thinking.
“It is understandable why my father kept this valuable diamond ring. But why this ordinary silver one? There must be some meaning or purpose to it”
He studied the ring and soon he found something engraved on the inside.
‘This will also change’
He smiled.
“This must be the teaching of my father”.
He wore the ring everywhere.
Spring came and he enjoyed it. But he would look down and remember.
“This will also change”
And when Spring passed away, he didn’t mind.
“This will also change”
It didn’t change the balance of his mind.
When winter comes. He doesn’t cry or get depressed.
He’d look down and remember.
“This will also change”
The ups and downs of life continued.
He no longer needed to look down at his ring. He understood those words inside himself.
This will also change.
This was the brother will the silver ring.
Remember the law of impermanence. Change is inevitable. But you hold the power in how you respond to it.
Big love, Meg💛✨