There lived a merchant in a village. He had a shop in the town near by, and everyday he went to open his shop in the morning and came back home in the evening, sometimes late sometimes earlier.
One day, around dusk, in his way back home he dropped his gold coins unfortunately and he was really angry. He was counting it when he stumbled to a stone on a side of a road. He had deeply gave his mind to his gold coins to know how much he earned that day and had walked off the road.
One day, around dusk, in his way back home he dropped his gold coins unfortunately and he was really angry. He was counting it when he stumbled to a stone on a side of a road. He had deeply gave his mind to his gold coins to know how much he earned that day and had walked off the road.
He turned back, saw a black stone he stumbled upon (which has caused him to stumble- but it was not the stone but his carelessness), as he could not control his anger and could not shook off the blame on the stone he kicked it away again. Then he looked for his gold coins, he found a few of them but could not find the rest as it had become darker. He went home took a fire and came back with his wife, if not someone may also stumble there and find the remaining gold coins and took it away.
While they searched persistently with the fire, he saw the stone again, took it and said, “This made me stumble.”
While they searched persistently with the fire, he saw the stone again, took it and said, “This made me stumble.”
His wife leaned nearer, took it from his hand and looked at it as if she was trying to see something in it. It was the size of a fist, a fine black stone.
“As it is as much as black it brings misfortune,” he added, he took the stone from his wife and with all his might he threw toward the woods, then they continued their search.
The next morning a traveler dropped by his shop and asked where he could find a poor labour of his village.
‘A day begins with questions tells a bad day and did not bring good sales,’ the merchant thought and he did not give the stranger a good answer.
But the traveler was persistent in his search too, he took out something from his bag and showed it to the merchant. It was a small black stone, about the size of a thumb. “Last time, I got few things like this from him and I wanted to reward him, help him more so that he may have a beautiful and comfort life. He is such a pathetic labour and I could not shook him off from my mind and enjoy all the riches I had earned through him.”
The merchant was now curious as the stone was exactly the same kind with the stone he poured his anger to and threw it far away.
“This is very precious,” the traveler added.
“How much doest it cost?” the merchant heart skipped a bit.
“This is not for sale.”
“I’m just asking you the price…”
“Oh! Yes… m.. millions.”
“Wha..what? what do you just say? Millions?” the merchant’s heart beats faster.
“Of course, millions.”
“He lived down there, near a stream in the bottom of the village,” the merchant replied. ‘The stone I threw away could cost hundreds of millions,’ he thought, ‘It's my anger, uncontrolled short temper and lack of knowledge that make me lose a great fortune.’
‘Really, lack of knowledge is foolishness, and foolishness is misfortune. It made us lose fortune which could be ours. Therefore one must seek knowledge of the truth of everything, so that he may not lose fortune again because of his lack of knowledge, in other words, foolishness.'
After the traveler left, the merchant regretted not telling to the traveler that he had threw away a big one, promised to seek it and asked him to come back to him, or not taking his contact information. After all the traveler was a good and honest man, for he was going to be a great blessing, double blessing to someone he had bought something, and it was him who brings to his attention, who give him knowledge of the stone.
‘But, I must be wise from now, who knows the traveler was a trickster. I must see what he did to the labour. The labour would know his contact information if he was a true man,’ he thought.
The merchant had learn not to lose his good character, and from then onwards he always overcame his anger. He also realized how knowledge is worth more than the stone he seek, and he began to love knowledge and seek it. And he had made his mind to keep learning his whole life as lack of knowledge could also brings him another lose or misfortune though he may find the stone and become rich.
He also learned that black does not necessarily brings or means misfortune and he stop being superstitious or something related to it.
And as he was using his mind, concentrating to his mistakes, he learnt that it was his anger and foolishness that give him this much trouble and work, and learned that anger is foolish. 'But thoughtfulness and patience could save one from anger, or short temper and misfortune as anger, or short temper is the lack of thoughtfulness and patience, and lack of thoughtfulness brings misfortune.' And that's how many lose fortune.
He realize that the day he drop his gold coins was not a day of misfortune, the night he threw away the black stone was not a night of misfortune or lose either but a chance of fortune because he can always make his mind and find the stone to get more riches, to be a fortunate man.
Therefore, he quickly closed his shop and went to the labour and asked, "Did a traveller visited you my friend?"
"Yeah!"
"Was it true? Is he a truthful man?"
"Yeah!"
"So, from now on you will live in a bungalow, right?"
"Yeah!"
"I threw away a big one. I'll come back to you, I may need you to give me his contact number. Ok?"
"My friend, I am still your old friend and I haven't changed. You are always welcome as a friend."
"Thank you my friend. Yeah, you are a good friend and I see you have not changed your good attitude. I'm really sorry to have forgotten you, please forgive me."
"It's okay my friend. Go with peace and love, and never lose that again. That's the most precious and important thing in life to posses my friend. Wish you luck and God be with you," replied the labour to his old friend.
The merchant give deep thanks to his good old friend, as he realized the most precious and important thing in life, and rushed home.
'Nature teaches us good things in life, and if we are wise, if we are thoughtful and willing we may understand it and benefit from it.'
When he reached home, he related his story to his wife and children, and look for the stone persistently. After all it is worth hundreds of millions than his gold coins which he had sought it persistently last night. And it would be worth a search even if he had to give many days to find it.
Therefore, he quickly closed his shop and went to the labour and asked, "Did a traveller visited you my friend?"
"Yeah!"
"Was it true? Is he a truthful man?"
"Yeah!"
"So, from now on you will live in a bungalow, right?"
"Yeah!"
"I threw away a big one. I'll come back to you, I may need you to give me his contact number. Ok?"
"My friend, I am still your old friend and I haven't changed. You are always welcome as a friend."
"Thank you my friend. Yeah, you are a good friend and I see you have not changed your good attitude. I'm really sorry to have forgotten you, please forgive me."
"It's okay my friend. Go with peace and love, and never lose that again. That's the most precious and important thing in life to posses my friend. Wish you luck and God be with you," replied the labour to his old friend.
The merchant give deep thanks to his good old friend, as he realized the most precious and important thing in life, and rushed home.
'Nature teaches us good things in life, and if we are wise, if we are thoughtful and willing we may understand it and benefit from it.'
When he reached home, he related his story to his wife and children, and look for the stone persistently. After all it is worth hundreds of millions than his gold coins which he had sought it persistently last night. And it would be worth a search even if he had to give many days to find it.
‘Fortune comes after misfortune. And the misfortune we thought always comes to be the beginning of fortune.'
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