The Kingdom of Monkeys
There was once a kingdom of monkeys in the forest. The King of the Monkeys was very large, kind, and wise. One day, the King was strolling and he noticed mango trees along the side of a river. He also noticed a human castle downstream. He then ordered the monkeys to remove all the mangos from these trees, "or there would be disaster." The monkeys did not understand the King's intention, but they did as told anyway. All the mangos were taken off these trees except one. This one was hidden behind a nest.
One day, this mango was ripe and fell into the river. It flowed downstream where the human King was having a bath. He noticed the mango and asked the Prime Minister what it was. The PM told him it was a "mango," a fruit of wonderful taste. The King then ordered that the mango be cut into small pieces and he gave a small piece to each of his ministers. When satisfied that the mango was not poisonous, he ate the rest of it and realized how tasty it was. He craved for more.
The next day, the human king, with his troops, went upstream to search for more of these fruits. There were lots of mango trees, but also lots of monkeys. The human king didn't want to share the mangos with the monkeys, so he ordered all of them to be killed. A massacre started.
When the news reached the wise Monkey King, he commented, "The day has finally arrived." The thousands of monkeys were chased all the way to the edge of the forest. There was a deep cliff at the edge of the forest, and a bamboo forest at the other side of the cliff. The Monkey King saw that if his subjects could cross over to the bamboo forest, they would be saved.
With his huge body, he formed a bridge over the cliff and thousands of monkeys trampled over him to reach the safety of the bamboo forest. He endured all the pain. One monkey did not like the King and he saw this as an opportunity to get even. As he was crossing over the King's body, he pierced a spear through the King's heart. The King screamed in pain but endured the pain until all his subjects were safely across. Then he collapsed.
The human king witnessed the whole thing. He was so touched that he ordered the Monkey King be saved. When the Monkey King recovered his consciousness, the human king asked him, "You are their King, why did you bother to die for them?" The Monkey King replied, "Because I am their King." With that, he died.
The human king was so touched that he decided to be a good king from that day and he ordered that the monkeys in the bamboo forest be protected from harm forever.
From India, New Delhi
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425There was once a kingdom of monkeys in the forest. The King of the Monkeys was very large, kind, and wise. One day, the King was strolling and he noticed mango trees along the side of a river. He also noticed a human castle downstream. He then ordered the monkeys to remove all the mangos from these trees, "or there would be disaster." The monkeys did not understand the King's intention, but they did as told anyway. All the mangos were taken off these trees except one. This one was hidden behind a nest.
One day, this mango was ripe and fell into the river. It flowed downstream where the human King was having a bath. He noticed the mango and asked the Prime Minister what it was. The PM told him it was a "mango," a fruit of wonderful taste. The King then ordered that the mango be cut into small pieces and he gave a small piece to each of his ministers. When satisfied that the mango was not poisonous, he ate the rest of it and realized how tasty it was. He craved for more.
The next day, the human king, with his troops, went upstream to search for more of these fruits. There were lots of mango trees, but also lots of monkeys. The human king didn't want to share the mangos with the monkeys, so he ordered all of them to be killed. A massacre started.
When the news reached the wise Monkey King, he commented, "The day has finally arrived." The thousands of monkeys were chased all the way to the edge of the forest. There was a deep cliff at the edge of the forest, and a bamboo forest at the other side of the cliff. The Monkey King saw that if his subjects could cross over to the bamboo forest, they would be saved.
With his huge body, he formed a bridge over the cliff and thousands of monkeys trampled over him to reach the safety of the bamboo forest. He endured all the pain. One monkey did not like the King and he saw this as an opportunity to get even. As he was crossing over the King's body, he pierced a spear through the King's heart. The King screamed in pain but endured the pain until all his subjects were safely across. Then he collapsed.
The human king witnessed the whole thing. He was so touched that he ordered the Monkey King be saved. When the Monkey King recovered his consciousness, the human king asked him, "You are their King, why did you bother to die for them?" The Monkey King replied, "Because I am their King." With that, he died.
The human king was so touched that he decided to be a good king from that day and he ordered that the monkeys in the bamboo forest be protected from harm forever.
From India, New Delhi
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Jagat Kumar,
The story is very touching. How I wish our modern-day netas/kings also showed even 1% of the dedication towards the people of the country. Instead, we have stories during floods where our netas wanted to get airlifted first and be out of danger, forgetting the people who were left behind. I don't think these kinds of netas ever read such stories.
From India, Pune
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The story is very touching. How I wish our modern-day netas/kings also showed even 1% of the dedication towards the people of the country. Instead, we have stories during floods where our netas wanted to get airlifted first and be out of danger, forgetting the people who were left behind. I don't think these kinds of netas ever read such stories.
From India, Pune
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Response:
The story of the Monkey King teaches us valuable lessons about leadership, sacrifice, and selflessness. In today's world, it is indeed rare to find leaders who prioritize the well-being of their people above all else. The Monkey King's unwavering dedication to protecting his subjects, even at the cost of his own life, is a powerful example of true leadership.
In the context of modern-day challenges faced by leaders, this story underscores the importance of putting the needs of the community first. Leaders should emulate the Monkey King's willingness to sacrifice personal comfort for the greater good. It serves as a reminder that leadership is not about authority or power but about responsibility and service.
To foster a culture of selfless leadership, organizations can:
- Implement leadership development programs that emphasize empathy, integrity, and compassion.
- Encourage open communication channels where employees feel heard and valued.
- Recognize and reward acts of selflessness and teamwork within the organization.
- Lead by example by demonstrating ethical behavior and prioritizing the well-being of employees.
By drawing inspiration from timeless tales like that of the Monkey King, we can strive to create a more compassionate and people-centric approach to leadership in today's world.
From India, Gurugram
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The story of the Monkey King teaches us valuable lessons about leadership, sacrifice, and selflessness. In today's world, it is indeed rare to find leaders who prioritize the well-being of their people above all else. The Monkey King's unwavering dedication to protecting his subjects, even at the cost of his own life, is a powerful example of true leadership.
In the context of modern-day challenges faced by leaders, this story underscores the importance of putting the needs of the community first. Leaders should emulate the Monkey King's willingness to sacrifice personal comfort for the greater good. It serves as a reminder that leadership is not about authority or power but about responsibility and service.
To foster a culture of selfless leadership, organizations can:
- Implement leadership development programs that emphasize empathy, integrity, and compassion.
- Encourage open communication channels where employees feel heard and valued.
- Recognize and reward acts of selflessness and teamwork within the organization.
- Lead by example by demonstrating ethical behavior and prioritizing the well-being of employees.
By drawing inspiration from timeless tales like that of the Monkey King, we can strive to create a more compassionate and people-centric approach to leadership in today's world.
From India, Gurugram
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