319th post

A wealthy young man once went to a wise mystic and asked for advice on how to live a good and meaningful life. He had money, comfort, and status, but deep inside, he felt something was missing. He hoped the sage could offer him guidance that wealth could not buy.

The mystic quietly led him to a window and said, “Look outside and tell me what you see.”

The young man looked through the clear glass and replied, “I see people walking back and forth. I see men and women busy with their lives. And over there, I see a blind beggar sitting on the street, asking for charity.”

Then the mystic brought him before a large mirror and said again, “Now look into this, and tell me what you see.”

The young man answered, “I see myself.”

The mystic smiled gently and said, “Notice that you no longer see other people. Yet both the window and the mirror are made from the same basic material, glass.

The only difference is that the mirror has a thin layer of mercury. Because of that small layer, you see nothing but yourself.”

He continued, “Compare these two pieces of glass. When the glass is plain and simple, it allows you to see others clearly. You notice their struggles, their needs, and you may even feel compassion for them. But when that same glass is covered, like the mirror, it reflects only your own image.”

The sage paused and added, “That thin layer is like wealth, pride, arrogance, selfishness, and greed. When a person allows these to cover their heart, they become like a mirror.

They see only themselves, their desires, their success, and their importance. The world becomes small, limited to their own reflection.”

“But when that covering is removed, when humility replaces pride and generosity replaces greed, then the heart becomes like a clear window again. It sees others. It understands their pain. It feels love.”

He concluded, “Your true worth is not measured by how much you possess, but by how clearly you can see beyond yourself. Have the courage to remove the coating from your eyes. Only then will you be able to truly see others and truly love them. And only then will your life be good.”