Gold For Happiness
Once upon a time, there was a sage who had many disciples. A number of them were worldly people. But the sage was full of consideration and compassion for all. He gave them such advice which would help them get peace even though they were engrossed in material activities of life. Among them was a merchant who was notorious for his miserliness. He had hoarded a million, still, he would feel sad if he lost a coin, so much so that he would skip over a meal to make up for the loss. He never entertained guests and he never gave a penny in charity. "Why don't you ever smile?" the sage would ask him from time to time. "What is there to smile for, O Master? The world is full of crooks. I work hard, but do not get enough in return," he would reply. The sage told him again and again that he suffered for imaginary reasons, that there were numerous people suffering pangs of real poverty who can still smile and be happy, that he must change his attitude. But all was in vain. One day the sage fell sick. The next day he called his disciples who happened to be nearby and told them, "I am to leave my body shortly. I wish you all well. Have trust in God and be faithful to him at heart. That will make you happy in life. However, if you wish to seek my advice on any of your personal problems for the last time, you can come to me one by one."
The disciples were shocked at the sage's sudden revelation about his impending death. They wept. And when they reentered his room, one at a time, to seek his last advice, most of them only sought his blessings. They were in no mood to bother him with their personal problems. The miser came last of all. "O Master," he appealed to the sage. "Please promise that you will grant me whatever I ask of you." By then the sage was perhaps desirous of being left alone. He agreed to grant the miser whatever he wanted and to get rid of him quickly. "O blessed sage, I have gathered confidentially from your old disciples that you had the power to perform a miracle; you could change iron into gold. Please pass on that charm to me." The dying sage's face paled. "Woe to me that I could perform such a miracle! But know this that the knowledge will deprive you of whatever peace and happiness you have. Better ask me for something that will really do you good." "O Maser, happiness and peace will be mine if you teach me the secret of which I have asked you. More gold, more happiness," said the miser. The sage could not afford to waste any more time with the man. He gave him a hymn and asked him to utter it a hundred times placing his hand on the metal which he desired to change into gold. Soon thereafter the sage died. The miser seemed to be the happiest of his disciples.
Others whispered among themselves, "The sage has taught him something great. Maybe, the fellow has received the boon to behold God!" A week later the miser went out in search of some scrap iron. The shop keeper quoted him a price that was a little higher than the rate that prevailed earlier. "It will be wise on my part to wait for the price to come down," he thought. Every week he enquired about the price, but it did not come down. "Although when the iron is changed into gold it will matter little whether I had paid a high or low price for the iron, still it is not sensible on my part to enrich the seller of scrap iron by paying him more," he told himself and waited longer. Two years passed. Suddenly there was a fall in the price of scrap iron. The miser bought cartfuls of them into his house. He fortified his house spending a good deal of money, for, the heaps of iron were to turn gold after all! Finally one night he sat down amidst the scraps, ready to utter they hymn. Alack! He had forgotten it. He tore his hair and beat his head against the wall. But not a word of the hymn occurred to him. He had neglected to remember it during the past two years when he kept himself preoccupied with the rise and fall in the price of scrap iron! He turned mad and remained so till he breathed his last.
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