Wealth and Desire

Landscaped courtyard in Chinese garden with stone path.
A long time ago, there was a millionaire who had so many things to deal with every day that he rarely smiled. (Image: Davidgn via Dreamstime)

A long time ago, there was a millionaire who had so many things to deal with every day that he rarely smiled. This wealthy man’s neighbors were a very poor couple, but they didn’t desire anything and were happy. They had nothing in their little house and they sold tofu for a living. However, the millionaire could hear their happy laughter every day.

One day the millionaire threw a gold ingot over the wall when the couple was busy and not looking. That night, the couple was silent, and there was no more laughter.

It turned out that the couple was shocked to receive such a fortune from the heavens and tried to make plans. They decided making and selling tofu was too hard for them. However, if they tried to do big business, they might lose money. If they lived on this gold ingot alone, sooner or later they would be poor again.

Desire is like a honey-coated poison. Even though it tastes sweet, the poison will slowly penetrate your internal organs.
The couple wanted to stop selling tofu, but they were afraid to try their hand at big business and worried about being poor again if they just tried to live off the gold alone. (Image: HandmadePictures via Dreamstime)

Desire destroys happiness

The husband even thought that after becoming rich he would take a young concubine; the wife was thinking that if she had known that she would be this rich, she certainly would not have married this tofu maker.

The pair were happy before, but now, neither of them felt like laughing. They thought more about gains and losses. The more they wanted, the more they suffered. Worries slowly filled their minds.

In our daily lives, desires will bring us troubles and worries.

Desire is like a honey-coated poison. Even though it tastes sweet, the poison will slowly penetrate your internal organs. So you need to pay attention and prevent your mind from being contaminated by your desires.

Translated by Yi Ming and edited by Helen

Follow us on TwitterFacebook, or Pinterest

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOU