Gold in the cupboard
In a prosperous town once lived a rich man. He had many businesses, he was involved in almost all aspects of economic life, he did not miss any good deal.
He kept his wealth in a large cash box in the closet of his house, every day he opened it, looked at his coins, thought about the profitable and past transactions, when he looked at his fortune became quite "warm around the heart".
One fine day, when he came back to his house after a long, busy day, he already had a bad feeling at the door. Immediately he noticed that something was not as it should be, fear rose in him, he ran to his closet, which stood wide open, the cassette was gone, one had stolen from him. Then he was furious, he called for his wife, for the children, no one knew anything, all had not been in the house during the day.
The police came, the neighbors, each of his friends, they all consoled him, but nothing could alleviate his misfortune, he had always enjoyed his coins so much.
One of his friends, however, said something of Buddhist wisdom to him, first asking, "did you have any use for your wealth"? "No", replied the stolen man, "but I have always looked at my money with such pleasure". "Then," said the friend, "just look at the closed cabinet and imagine that the box is still in it!"
"What is it to you by whom he who once gave it to you reclaimed it from you"?
- Epictetus - Roman Slave - 50 to 138
Wealth is one of those things. Who is rich, who is poor? Is perhaps a farmer with a very small farm a richer man than a millionaire banker, if the farmer is loved but the banker is not?
And is not the absence of suffering the true wealth in a person's life? Just as Buddha exemplified to us?
You shall not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.
- Bible -
Accumulating more and more wealth, does that make you happy?
I say: NO
Sure, money makes you independent, it gives a certain security, things can be bought, some ideas can be implemented with money, but real capital is not material, true wealth lies in happiness, love, harmony, contentment, success, health, serenity and in the family.
Personally, I don't want to "own" many things, I get my joy when I can "use" them sometimes. Renting a nice car, over the weekend, and then returning the car, that's more fun for me. Staying in a nice hotel for a few days, I find that much better than owning a vacation home.
But I find it even much better when I'm driving in a very small car (no matter who owns it) and there's a person sitting next to me who really likes me. Or when visiting another city I can sleep on the sofa of a good friend, that makes me happy.
If the cornfield is far from the house, the birds eat the fruit.
- Proverb -
I also like to think of my fortune that I keep in the closet, but I never open the door!
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