Homeless

A wretched man begs the bread seller:

"Please give me another half loaf, or I'll be too hungry to sleep tonight."

The seller cuts half a loaf and hands it over. At once two men standing nearby ask for more as well. With a sigh the seller gives again, then asks:

"How did the three of you end up in such a state?"

One answers:

"I used to be rich, with houses, cars, plenty of female company and anything I wanted to eat. Loaves like these I'd have thrown in the trash. I played the stock market. I bought when the price was low and sold when it rose. One winning trade brought in billions of dong. One time it looked so good that I poured in all my money, borrowed more, and bought a huge amount of shares. I never expected the price to keep falling until the company went bankrupt. My shares turned into scrap paper. Everything vanished at once. Oh, I'm lucky to meet someone kind who gives me food, because I'm not used to begging and hardly anyone gives, I'm so hungry..."

The second says:

"I was super rich too. Hong Kong in the morning, Macau in the evening. I beat even the casinos' machines at cards with my head. I didn't realize they were cheating me bit by bit, and in the end my life ended on one hand that cleaned me out. They walked me to the airport and gave me a ticket home, with nothing but debts, and I've been hiding and dodging ever since..."

The third says:

"I put all my money into machines for mining bitcoin. I bought a whole hydroelectric plant to power the computers. I became a billionaire in that virtual world, until one day nobody recognized its value and governments banned it one after another, and I came back to the real world looking like a beggar, as you see me now. It's so sad..."

The bread seller says:

"What you three have in common is that the ways you invested and made money brought no benefit to the world. You were enjoying merit from a past life, so you succeeded for a while. When it ran out, you were left a wreck. Me, I push a bread cart, but I'm still serving real life. I earn little, but steadily. You should think again. Even in this poverty, find something to contribute to the world. Who knows, you might get back on your feet one day."

Food, clothing and money are made by others in this society and brought to us, and in return we must contribute something to society. That is fairness. The more we contribute, the more life gives us. If we know only money, see only money and not everything around it, not the responsibilities around it, and refuse to do anything useful for society, then the money will leave us too.

A wise person looks for ways, work and opportunities to contribute more than they receive. The sum "contribution minus consumption" should always stay positive. That positive balance is the merit that keeps our life in peace and happiness.