Story about happiness: The harsh lesson a king learned to obtain happiness

A long time ago, there lived a king who was very wealthy. He lived in the most luxurious palaces served by dozens of servants. He ate the best meals and wore the best clothes and jewelry. And yet he was unhappy. Often he would resort to drinking and womanizing in order to feel happy. But happiness still eluded him. He offered a reward to anyone who would show him how to feel happy. Many came and tried and all of them failed. Then one day a wise sage came to meet the king. The king explained his plight and the mage listened carefully. The king told the sage that he was ready to do anything in order to be happy. The sage asked him, “Are you sure that you are willing to make any sacrifice in order to obtain happiness?” The king without hesitation replied, “I am willing to make any and every sacrifice that I must to find happiness. No matter the price I am willing to pay it.”

The sage then explained that happiness was not in possessions. So the king was prompted to give up all his wealth and then he would be happy. The king was desperate and expressed his willingness to do anything the sage advised. The sage asked the king to gather all his valuables such as gold, silver, and jewels. The king collected all the valuables that he possessed and put them in a chest and brought it to the sage. The sage wanted to test the…