We Don’t Need Much, But Want Too Much

There was a rich man who was unhappy every day. Next to his house there lived a couple who earned their living making tofu, for which they made very little money, yet they were very happy every day.

The rich man asked his steward, "I am much richer than the poor neighbor couple, why aren’t I as happy as they are?" The steward replied, "That's easy, I can make them unhappy within the space of a few days."

At midnight, the steward dropped one gold nugget off at the neighbor’s house while they were sleeping. The next morning, when the couple saw the gold nugget, they were very happy. But the happiness didn't last long and they started to be distressed very soon afterward. They thought it was too tedious to earn their living making tofu. Now that they had money, they did not want to make tofu anymore. Yet, they didn't know how to conduct business as they had no experience and worried the money would go fast. The husband now considered what he would do if they could make a business that thrived, whether he should find another younger lover and leave his wife. While he was pondering this, the wife was thinking if she had known she would have this much money, she would never have married a man who made his living making tofu.

Since the golden nugget arrived at his neighbor’s home, the the rich man never again heard their laughter.

Now let's think about it, do we really need many possessions or is it that we
simply want too much?

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