A rich man asked a
Zen master to write something down that could encourage the prosperity
of his family for years to come. It would be something that the family
could cherish for generations. On a large piece of paper, the master
wrote, "Father dies, son dies, grandson dies."
The rich man became angry when he saw the master's work. "I asked
you to write something down that could bring happiness and prosperity
to my family. Why do you give me something depressing like this?"
"If your son should die before you," the master answered,
"this would bring unbearable grief to your family. If your
grandson should die before your son, this also would bring great
sorrow. If your family, generation after generation, disappears in the
order I have described, it will be the natural course of life. This is
true happiness and prosperity."
