Greed
destroys reason
Once there lived a rich man
and a poor man. The poor man borrowed a vessel from the rich man during the
marriage festival for his daughter. When the marriage celebration was over, he
returned it to the rich man along with five small vessels, saying, “Your vessel
has given to five children.” The rich
man was rather pleased because he was greedy. He liked the folly of the poor
man.
But the poor man was really
cleaver. During the marriage of the second daughter, he again went to borrow a
vessel from the rich man. The latter gave him some silver vessels. When the
marriage celebration was over, the poor man came to the rich man and said to
him weeping, “All your vessels have died.”
The rich man was extremely
angry. He filed a suit against the poor man. The poor man explained the whole
story to the judge: “Sir, this man believes that a vessel can give birth to
other vessels so why shouldn’t he believe that the vessels can die too?” The rich man learnt a lesson.
MORAL: Greed destroys reason.
--- Swami Jyotirmayananda
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