Once upon a time, there was a wealthy merchant who was very proud of his riches. He visited the temple every day but looked down upon the poor and beggars, never helping anyone.
He never helped anyone, thinking that wealth alone made him superior. Despite all his possessions, the merchant’s mind was restless and never at peace.
One day, he met a sage on the way. The sage smiled and asked, “Son, why do you look so troubled?”
Merchant replied, “I am rich, but my mind is never at peace.”
Sage said, “Come to the nearby forest tomorrow morning before sunrise. I will show you true wealth.”
Next morning, merchant reached the forest before time.
The sage took him to a cave and said, “Inside this cave, you will see many precious gems. The very first gem you notice is your true wealth. But remember, you can only pick one.”
Merchant went in. The cave was filled with gold, silver and sparkling jewels.
His greed began to grow, he thought, “Let me look a little more…” and kept searching. Time passed. As the sun rose, the cave door shut.
He screamed and cried but could not get out. Finally, the sage’s voice echoed, “You failed to recognize true wealth – it was TIME and CONTENMENT. In your greed, you lost everything.”
True wealth does not lie in money, but in valuing time and being content. Greed makes us lose everything.
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