Parables of Wisdom
Vipul and Vijan
विपुल और विजन · વિપુલ અને વિજન
Two friends hear their futures, and the future listens to how they live
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
Lost in a forest, two friends meet a hermit who can see what lies ahead. One is told he will soon be a king, the other that his life will soon end. What each of them does with the news turns out to matter more than the news itself.
What it teaches Karma Humility Arrogance Present actions
The opening of the children's telling
Once two friends, Vipul and Vijan, got lost in a big dark forest. They saw a little light and found the hut of a kind old hermit. He gave them fruit and a place to sleep.
In the morning they asked, Can you tell us what will happen to us? The hermit said, Vipul, you will become a king. Then he said quietly, Vijan, your life will soon come to an end.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Tomorrow is shaped by what we choose to do today.
To talk about together
If you heard that something wonderful would happen to you, how would you want to behave while you waited?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.