The inheritance

Four siblings in mourning bands sit around a table, each of them sad and tense. The eldest says:

"Now that Dad and Mom are both gone, we're orphans, and it's a huge loss. The funeral is just over. As for the estate, since we're all here, let's settle the division now, because tomorrow everyone goes their own way and it'll be hard to get us together again. As the eldest, I stand in for Dad. I propose we divide it equally. Whatever is hard to divide, we sell and split the money. Whatever has about the same value, we give out evenly."

The youngest says:

"Whatever you do, this house is mine. I looked after Dad and Mom here. I'll keep the house as their shrine."

The sister says:

"The house sits on 5,000 square meters of land. That's nearly the whole estate. It can't be, little brother. Everyone has a family and children to look after. Mom and Dad's property has to be shared among their children and grandchildren so they get their share of the ancestors' blessing. I have four children, so my share should be a bit larger to be fair."

The eldest says:

"The youngest lived at home and looked after them directly, but the money sent home every month was mine. He lived off the money I sent to support them too, so what credit is that to him? I have to take this house to make it the family shrine."

The second youngest stands up and says:

"Please leave me out. I renounce my inheritance. I'm a teacher and I get by. I teach morality to my students, so I have to set an example. If my students knew I was so focused on this inheritance, I couldn't teach them any more. Goodbye."

And he walks out.

The hard part for anyone who teaches morality is that they must live it as an example. Living morally means not being greedy for profit or fame. And not being greedy for profit or fame means accepting losses.

Those who teach morality believe in the nobility of their work, and find their happiness and joy there rather than seeking gain elsewhere. If they believe in the law of cause and effect, they can rest assured that some unseen fairness will repay them fully later.

This world badly needs morality, and so badly needs people who teach it. But few dare to live a life of integrity and modest means in order to speak about morality with a fire burning in the heart.

Without teachers of morality, the world stands at the edge of a dangerous cliff. People whose minds are taken over by evil do evil things, and then spread that evil into other people's minds. The world grows darker all the time.

We long for many people who are willing to devote their lives to this cause, to refuse the scramble for profit, fame and scheming, and to cultivate deep morality so as to become outstanding teachers of it for society. Morality is invisible. It passes from heart to heart.