The prince with the Banana Smile

The prince with the Banana Smile

Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom there was a young prince, he was a healthy and happy boy whom loved to eat bananas.

The prince liked to learn and he was always considerate and kind to everyone.

Every weekend they had a festival in the palace whereas the best performers, dancers and singers arrived from all around the kingdom and competed. The winner received fruits and other valuable rewards as a price.

The prince wanted to know what life was like for people who lived outside the palace walls. So he went with his attendant to the city dressed as a banana merchant.

On his first visit the prince saw a white haired, wrinkled man dressed in rags. Such a sight surprised him, as he had never seen anyone old before. His attendant explained to him that this man was old and that everyone will be old one day. The prince gave the old man a banana but he felt frightened by that and asked his attendant to take him back home. At night, he could not sleep and he kept on thinking about old age.

Although the prince felt frightened by the vision of getting old, he wanted to see more of the world outside. He saw a man lying on the ground and moaning. Out of compassion, he rushed over to the man and handed him a banana. His attendant warned him that the man was sick and that everyone; even noble people like him or the king could get sick.

On the third visit, the prince saw four men carrying another man on a stretcher. The attendant told the prince that the man was dead. He also said that no one can escape death, and told the prince that everyone will die one day. The prince handed bananas to the four men and another one to the dead man.

Sometime later, he got to be known as the Banana Smile merchant boy, as for his kindness, handing free bananas to all and placing the banana in front of his face as a smile. “Did you know that bananas are always wearing a smile, so why don’t we all wear a smile?” he used to ask in enjoyment.

He demanded to understand more like how come other kids don’t enjoy such comfortable life as he does, and get no education as he gets. Or how come the streets are so dirty and filthy whereas the palace is so clean and tidy. Or how come people mistreat animals and are being cruel to them. The prince thought deeply about what he saw around him. He learned that although he was happy, there was a lot of suffering in life. So he felt deep sympathy for all creatures.

Because he was a prince his life was very easy, and he could have chosen to ignore the problems of others. But he felt sympathy for others. He knew that all creatures, including people, animals and all other living beings, like to be happy and don’t like suffering and pain.

When they returned to the palace, the prince kept on thinking about what he had seen. After finishing a delicious banana ice cream desert, the prince demanded the king and his advisors for answers to the many questions he now had, like how come that we don’t do much to help others that have so much suffer but neither the king, not his advisors provided the young prince with a clear plan.

So he made a strong decision to find a way to make sure that other kids get good education, the town to be as clean as the palace and the animals to be treated right. Also, to help all those suffer of old age, sickness and death.

Finally, he came up with a solution. In the day of the elections for the royal board members he went to the city center and got on the stage, calling all: “Dear brothers and sisters! I have found a way to end suffering. As we all know, all humans wish for 2 things: Be Happy & be Healthy.

One day the banana smiled at me so I had an idea, we can all vote with our banana smile!

But each of us likes a different ice cream flavor …and each of us has something different in the heart!

So each board member together with a group from our best performers will represent a cause to care first. Likewise we will solve our entire challenges one after the other. The winners will get valuable rewards as a price. Yes, if we will cooperate we can all enjoy better lives. You must take responsibility to understand these things.”

At first, the people doubted his words. They asked him many questions but finally they began to trust him and wanted to hear his teaching. He saw that good deeds lead the way, from suffering to peace. Then he saw that the origin of suffering is being greedy, which arises from thinking that we are more important than everybody else.

At the day of the event there was a long line of people from all over the kingdom, each came with a banana in their hand and they got to choose in which cause box they wish to place their banana.

The event went successfully and people were happy to participate. They felt proud to be part of a campaign whereas they vote for a specific cause of their choice rather than in people.

You should be smiling now as you read this and you should be smiling whilst you do your daily gratitude’s.

Today you will greet everyone with a sincere smile.  Just simply smile while you talk to everyone, whether face to face or on the phone.  Even though you may think people cannot see you smile over the phone, smiling carries a positive disposition and is easily detectable by someone expecting a sincere conversation with you.  Smiles are contagious.  They affect your biochemistry and can have a lasting affect not only on you but all the people around you.  Smiling will change your world in an instant and it will change your perception of others in an instant.

This may seem like a very simple exercise, and you’re right, it is.