Saturday, May 16, 2020

GREED

   In life we make choices  and they are most of the time guided by our desires  and our upbringing and also our greed . What happens when one finds a wallet full of money while walking  on street? Do we return to the rightful owner or if none is known give it to police or pocket the money?.As I believe we all are responsible for our own actions  and Every ACTION has REACTION. The so called Law of Karma. So at every stage of our life we make decision or have choice  and we hope we will make right choice . So this is one of the old stories.
    This is a story that I had read many years ago , may be 40 years ago or so. There was a town in China  and there were 2 friends  and they were fast friends. As thew grew up, they were separated  and one of them , we will call him Min. The other one , we will call him Yin stayed in the same town. He had a small restaurant and it was doing OK . But then in the same town another richer man started a fancy restaurant with music  and some dancing . With some additional entertainment, many town people started going there and the new one  and the Yin had difficult time making ends meet. He could hardly support his own family. He did not have money to invest to do same thing that the rich man did . So he had only limited people coming to his place. One evening he was sitting in his restaurant  and his old friend Min walked in . Yin was was very happy to see old friend and offered him the food  and tea. They had long chat  and Min came to know that his old buddy was not doing good.As he was about to leave, he told Yin that he is going to give him a gift. He pained a picture of Peacock on the restaurant wall.He told his friend to clap 3 times Yin clapped and the peacock came out live  and started dancing and after doing a spectacular dance went back and became a picture again. Min told him that there is only one condition . He should not ask for any money to do the dance  and he should not ask peacock to dance more than one time in a day.He left.
     When the news of this peacock spread around, more people started coming to the restaurant  and his business grew . He started making more money. Yin always followed the rule that was told by his friend . One day a rich man was visiting the town. He came to know about this miracle peacock dance  and he came to the restaurant.. He wanted to see the dance . There was a crowd. but he wanted to witness this dance alone with his family and did not want any one there crowding the place . Yin refused to do so . But then he offered money  and Yin still refused . He offered more  and Yin decided to do it . He told the crowd that it was going to be a private show  and they can come next day to watch it . He drove every one out. Then he clapped 3 times  and the peacock came out of the picture  and did the dance , but he did not look very happy . The rich man wanted to watch it again  and he offered more money and Yin again fell for it  and clapped again  and the peacock came out  and looked tired  and sad  and dis some dancing . Then he tried it again to clap and the peacock would not come at all.
    The next day Min showed up . One look at the peacock picture  and he realized as to what had happened. He asked Yin and Yin did tell him the truth. Min told him that now that Yin broke the rule, the peacock can not stay any longer . He clapped 3 times and the peacock came out  and Min left and the peacock followed him . Now the restaurant was without any magic  and Yin started loosing the patrons.. The greed caused the downfall .  

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