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There lived a rich landlord in a city located within a mountainous area. He got married to a much younger wife, with whom he had a child. He thought, “I am getting older by the day while my wife remains young. If I were to pass on and she decided to remarry, my possession would fall into the hands of a stranger. My child is still too young, and we won’t know what the future holds. What will be left for him?”
An idea came to the rich landlord. He then turned to the housekeeper to help fill a car with all his treasures and bury them somewhere. On the ride back, he entrusted the housekeeper with a favour, “I hope that you will keep what happened today a secret. When my son is older, bring him back to retrieve the buried treasures.” The loyal and devoted housekeeper made the promise to do as his master instructed.
After a few years, the rich landlord passed on, and his son gradually grew into an adult. The landlord’s wife then told her son, “You have come of age and will soon assume the role of the man of the house. I know that your father has kept many treasures hidden away. The housekeeper will know where the hidden treasures are and retrieve them so that you can use them to grow our family business.”
The young master heeded his mother’s words and went to the housekeeper. He asked, “ I heard that my father had enlisted your help in burying the treasures. Where are they buried? Please bring me to them. ” The housekeeper felt that it was only right to do so, and he brought the young master to where they buried the treasures.
However, once they had arrived at the destination, a thought suddenly came to the old housekeeper. He felt that those possessions belonged to the old master, and he would not allow the young master to covet the treasure and share it with his mother. Therefore, he deliberately pretended to be confused and very hot-tempered and started an outburst toward the young master.
The young master found his actions weird but suppressed his anger and said, “It’s okay. Since we couldn’t find it today, let’s retire for the day.” Several days passed, and he noticed that the old housekeeper had returned to his usual self and was respectful to him. He then said, “Looks like your condition has improved, let’s continue searching for those treasures.”
The old housekeeper once again accompanied the young master back to the place. However, once they reached the spot, his earlier thoughts returned to him, and he became reluctant to disclose the location of the treasures. He thus continued the act of being hysterical. The young master had no choice but to bring him back home. Once they were back, the old housekeeper returned to his respectful tone when speaking to the young master.
The young master felt frustrated at his futile attempts at obtaining the treasures. One day, he decided to visit a rich landlord in another city and told him everything that had happened. This landlord advised him wisely, “Go back to the place with him and look closely at where he is standing when he starts scolding you. That will be where the treasures were buried.”
The young master brought the old housekeeper back to the place. Similar to what he had done before, the housekeeper stood on the spot and started berating the young master. Seeing this, the young master then ordered the housekeeper to grab a hoe and a shovel for the treasure. Sure enough, the treasures were dug up from the spot.
After all the treasures had been dug up, the young master realised that the wealth was the cause of all problems. Wasn’t it enough to enjoy a simple life? Weren’t they living peacefully before this? Looking at the aftermath of his pursuit of wealth, he realised that everyone is equally susceptible to the temptations of wealth. He thus became determined to donate his father’s treasure away.
What is life’s worth? Is happiness measured by how much we have?
Buddha taught his disciples that to maintain purity in their hearts, they must start by letting go of desires. When our responsibilities are fulfilled, and we pursue contentment in life, our mindset changes. When we choose to live life simply, our inner state will be calm and peaceful; the result of having desires is our change in mindset.
Everyone should use their wisdom for the greater good and ponder on life’s worth. When we have something in our possession, we must understand how to use it wisely. When we are healthy, we should strive to do things that benefit the community and make our life more fulfilling.
Translated by Zoe Chua
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