The Tale of Greed and Its Consequences

There once was a man full of greed. He brought a fine piece of paper and approached a master calligrapher renowned for his skill. The master gracefully wrote a single, magnificent character on the paper. The man was overjoyed, for the calligraphy held immense value.

However, a thought struck him: “What if I ask for one more character?”

He said, “Please, just one more character.” The master obliged, and another beautiful character adorned the paper. Yet, the man’s greed grew stronger.

“Since we’ve come this far, could you add one more?”

One by one, the master added characters until eventually, the once pristine paper was entirely covered in ink. The original characters, with their profound beauty and value, were nowhere to be seen. All that remained was a piece of paper drowned in black ink.

A Lesson in Greed

In life, we often seek more and more, even in matters of the Tao (the Way, or the Path in Korean philosophy). When we hear one teaching, we desire two. When we receive two, we demand three, and so on. But does this accumulation increase the value? Never. In fact, it diminishes it.

Like the ink-covered paper, endless greed turns what was once valuable into something worthless. A once-clear path to wisdom becomes muddled and obscure, leaving one’s original self in a state worse than before.

The mind constantly seeking to gain is not the path to enlightenment. Reflect deeply: are you turning yourself into a piece of useless waste paper?