We live in a fast-paced world, driven towards wealth, material achievements, and things. But what really matters in life? This story illustrates a different way of looking at wealth – and of what truly matters.
Here’s how it goes.
The Wise Man and the Treasures
There was once a Woodcutter who lived in the village next to a forest. He was very poor and barely made ends meet by cutting the trees in the forest and selling them in the nearby town.
One day, on his way to cut wood, he chanced upon an old man meditating at the edge of the forest.
When the wise man opened his eyes, the Woodcutter asked him, “Sir, do you know how I can earn more money?”
The Old man said, “go a little deeper into the forest today, you will be able to earn one month’s wage by working for only a day.”
the Woodcutter did as the old man had said and to his surprise found rare sandalwood trees. He sold them and earned enough to feed himself for a whole month.
The next day, he thanked the old man for his valuable advice.
The old man said, “go even deeper into the forest today and you will earn even more than you did yesterday.”
To the woodcutter’s surprise, when he entered deeper into the forest, he found a silver mine. He brought back the silver and thanked the old man once again.
The old man once again said, “Tomorrow, go even further into the forest. you will find treasure and you will never have to work a day in your life again.”
Following the old man’s advice, the woodcutter went to the deepest part of the forest and to his excitement, he found a gold and diamond mine.
The woodcutter thanked the old man profusely. But he was baffled, “Why didn’t you go into the forest yourself if you knew about the treasures?”
The old man smiled “These treasures may satisfy you for now, but it will never bring you true happiness or inner peace. You will not find these in the deepest part of the forest, but deep within yourself.”
What Really Matters in Life
In life, we tend to go after material wealth. We live in a consumer culture where the more things you have, the more successful you appear to be. We tend to feel that the more we have, the better things will become. But success and happiness aren’t measured by wealth.
the greatest treasure you can find is within the deepest part of yourself. Self-discovery is the greatest gift towards happiness.
Material wants and needs may satisfy you for some time, but in the long run, no amount of money can bring you true happiness. Only those who are satisfied with themselves can be happy regardless of their situation and circumstances.
Wealth and material want will come and go, but to those who have discovered themselves, these are immaterial.
Wrapping Up
While it’s important to have wealth and material objects in your life, it’s also important to take the time to focus on the things that matter – inner peace, acceptance, relationships, time, memories, experiences, and happiness.
