The Last Three Wishes of Alexander the Great

I was inspired by this story a lot. Let us learn three lessons which the below story offers:-

Alexander, while returning home after conquering many kingdoms fell mortally ill. While lying on his deathbed, he realized the worthlessness of his vast hoard of gold, silver, and jewels, accumulated through his conquests with his sharp sword and his mighty army.

He longed to reach home. He wanted to have a last look at his mother’s face before departing from this mortal world. But, he knew that his sinking health would not let him reach his distant homeland. He called his generals and said, “I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail.”

With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king’s last wishes.

“My first wish is that my physicians alone must carry my coffin,” said Alexander.

After a pause, the king continued, “For my second wish is I want the path leading to my grave be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones which are in my treasury while my body is being carried to be buried.

The dying king continued, “My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin.”

Though the generals wondered at the king’s strange wishes, no one dared to question or ask him the reason for these three wishes.

Alexander’s favorite general kissed his hand and pressed them to his heart. “O king, we assure you that your wishes will all be fulfilled. But tell us why do you make such strange wishes?”

At this Alexander took a deep breath and said:

“I would like the world to know of these three fundamentals:

I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor can really cure anybody. They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death.

My second wish to strew gold, silver, and other precious stones on the way to the graveyard is to let the people know that though I spent all my life accumulating riches, not even a grain of gold will come with me when I leave this world. I want people to understand that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth.

With my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I want people to know that I came empty handed into this world and likewise will go empty handed from this world.”

With these words, the king closed his eyes. Soon he let death conquer him and breathed his last. . . .