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In the past, there was a wealthy elder who was very kind. Instead of enjoying his wealth by himself, he believed that he rather aid others to make them well-fed and well-clothed. As such, he began to devote himself to charity work, helping the needy tormented by poverty and illnesses.
Those who received the assistance of the wealthy elder were grateful and full of praise towards him. The reputation of the wealthy elder started to spread, and so, not only was he respected and loved by the locals, but people from neighbouring countries also complimented him for his kindness. Finally, the praises about him reached Heaven.
One Deva learned about how well respected the wealthy elder was and thought, “In the past, when I was a mortal, I was also a charitable man who gave generously. Hence, the good karma accumulated allowed me to be reborn into the heavenly realm. However, it seems that what this wealthy elder has achieved has surpassed me. Is he going to accumulate more good karma than me?”
Jealousy arose in the heart of the Deva, and he decided to disrupt the wealthy elder’s practice. And so, he transformed into the looks of a mortal and came before the wealthy elder saying, “Don’t you feel upset for giving your precious fortune away?” The wealthy elder laughed and shook his head.
The Deva commented again, “Your hard-earned money should be kept for you and your younger generations. If you continue to distribute your wealth like this, you will eventually give away all of your fortunes.”
The wealthy elder replied smilingly, “The Earth nourishes all living beings. It’s such a shame if I only share my wealth with my own family. Instead, I rather let everyone enjoy the wealth together.”
The Deva claimed, “According to what I know, if you practise charitable giving diligently, you will end up in Hell in the future!”
The wealthy elder wondered with disbelief; those who committed vile acts will land themselves in Hell. Why would those who donate and carry out good deeds end up in Hell too?
Seeing that the wealthy elder was unconvinced, the Deva conjured up the scene of Hell and told the wealthy elder, “Look! All these people in Hell are those who practised charitable giving when they were alive! If you refuse to believe my words, you can ask them yourself.”
The wealthy elder stood before a man and asked him, “Why do you end up in Hell?” Being part of Deva’s plan, the man replied, “In the past, I often gave generously to help others.”
“And what happens to the people you have helped?”
“They all ended up in Heaven.”
The wealthy elder exclaimed joyously, “My heartfelt wish is for everyone to gain happiness. If all that I have assisted in my life can go to Heaven whereas I am the only one that ends up in Hell, that is nothing to me. I am still very delighted!”
The Deva was appalled by the sincerity of the wealthy elder and, at the same time, touched by the wealthy elder’s attitude and felt ashamed of himself. He transformed back to his Deva appearance and spoke to the wealthy elder, “I was overwhelmed with jealousy and thus fabricated these lies in a bid to disrupt your practice. However, your selfless attitude of putting the happiness of all sentient beings before your own is very admirable!”
This is a story recorded in Buddha’s scripture. As we can see, the path of practising kindness is never smooth sailing. At times when practising compassion, we will be greeted with respect and gratitude, whereas sometimes we will face jealousy and even accusations. We must overcome these challenges with wisdom and incredible perseverance. Most importantly, we must persevere and hold on to our original aspiration, and sincere and pure kind intentions. In doing so, can we not lose our faith in practising kindness.
Translated by Soh Wan Siew
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