Honesty is the Key to Success

Materials from the Pathways Book

Alternatives materials that can be used

Honesty is the Key to Success

Photo by Silas Köhler in unsplash.com

There is a saying: “Whatever you plant, you will harvest.” This saying is also true for people who live honestly. Even though honest people may face difficulties at first, in the end, they will receive good results.

Here is a story that explains this lesson:

A long time ago, there was a king in China who was getting old and had to leave his throne. Instead of choosing one of his children or government officials to replace him, the king decided to do something different. He called all the young men in his kingdom and said:

“It is time for me to step down and choose a new king. I will choose one of you.”
The young men were surprised. The king continued:
“Today, I will give each of you one seed. This is a very special seed. I want you to take it home, plant it, water it, and come back to me in one year with the plant that grew from this seed. I will look at your plants and decide who will be the next king.”

Among the young men was Ling. He received a seed just like everyone else. Ling went home and excitedly told his mother about it. His mother gave him a pot and some soil. Ling carefully planted the seed and placed the pot near the window for sunlight. Every day, he watered the seed and checked if it was growing.

After three weeks, the other young men started talking about how their seeds had grown into plants. Every time Ling heard this, he rushed home to check his pot—but nothing grew. Weeks passed, and still no change. Ling began to believe that he had failed.

Six months passed, and Ling’s pot was still empty. Meanwhile, his friends had flowers and even trees. Ling wanted to give up, but his mother advised him to be honest and take the pot to the king. Ling felt ashamed and worried, but he trusted his mother’s advice.

Finally, the day came. All the young men brought their plants to the palace. Ling was shocked to see all the colorful and fragrant plants. Some people laughed at Ling’s empty pot. Some even felt sorry for him.

The king looked at all the plants and then saw Ling hiding with his empty pot. The king called Ling to the front. Ling was scared and thought, “Maybe the king will punish me for failing.”

But instead, the king smiled and said loudly, “Here is your new king—Ling!” Everyone was surprised. How could Ling become king with an empty pot?

The king explained:
“One year ago, I gave you all seeds that had been boiled. They could never grow. But all of you, except Ling, replaced the seed with another one. Only Ling was honest and brought me the pot with the seed I gave him. That is why he will be your new king.”

The Lesson

Honesty is a very important principle for success. Lies, on the other hand, cause many problems. Honesty is accepted in all cultures, while dishonesty is rejected everywhere.

Discussion Questions