I remember a story a monastic used to tell in his talks about his days as a monk in Thailand.
There was once the monastic helped a Thai man with his problem.
As a show of appreciation and gratitude, the man offered the monastic some money, which he politely declined.
(As an act of simplicity and letting go, monks and nuns are NOT allowed or supposed to take, accept or receive money. This is part of the Vinaya - rules for monastics, set down by Gautama, The Buddha, some 2500 over years ago. This is to encourage NON-attachment and contentment, and to discourage greed and craving.)
However, the man was insistent on giving the monastic something.
Since monks are allowed to accept simple gifts of requisites from the lay people as a form of offering of Dana (giving/generosity), the man asked the monastic what he could get for him for the amount of 500 baht.
It was usual to quote the amount in some countries when making such an offering, so as to avoid any misunderstanding.
As the monastic can't think of anything at that moment, they came to an agreement that the monastic would think of some of the things that he needed and tell it to the man when the man comes round the next day.
With a pen and paper, the monastic started to think about what he needed.
After much pondering and scratching of head, he started to make a list.
As time passes, one item became 2, then 3, then 4, then 5, 10 ........ the list didn't stop.
It couldn't stop. It just grew and grew.
Before long, the monastic had come up with a whole list of items with more coming to his head that one piece of paper is just not enough.
As a matter of fact, even the amount (500 baht) that the man offered was no longer enough.
However, hard as he try, neither could the monastic take away any of the items he had listed.
Cos' each seemed like a necessity. Urgent even.
That's when the monastic saw and realised what's happening.
He took the piece of paper and threw it away.
The next day, as promised, the man came and asked if the monastic has made his decision.
The monastic's reply was, "Don't you do that to me ever again!"
How often do we, just like the monastic, fall into the trap of craving and wanting.
It may start with a humble HDB, then a HUDC (oh, it's bigger!), followed by a condo (there's the swimming pool, gym, BBQ pit, we can invite friends over!), a terrace (so that we can have our own space!), a bungalow (our own swimming pool, gym, BBQ pit, garden!), blah blah blah ......
We may make excuses that it's for our family, friends and loved ones. It may even seem that way.
In Reality, it's our ego playing tricks on us, camouflaging our vanity and attachments, and greed, craving, lust and desires in its many guises trying to fool us, and to cloud our already deluded minds.
And if we're not careful and mindful, before we know it, it'll snowball to the point of no return.
As 'drivers', we need to be alert and mindful of the dangers that's lurking in front of us; waiting to trap and ambush us.
It's up to us to step on the brakes, and pull up the hand brakes before we drown ourselves in the deep sea of craving.For there is no end to craving.
For the case of the monastic, he told the benefactor to give the 500 baht to the monastery building fund, or some other good cause.
He didn't want it.
What he wanted was to regain the rare contentment he had had the day before.
In the words of the monastic,
"When I had no money, nor the means to get anything, that was the time when all my wishes were fulfilled. Wanting has no end. But freedom from wanting has an end. It is when you want for nothing. Contentment is the only time you have enough."
"Contentment is the greatest wealth."
- The Buddha
"From craving springs grief;
From craving springs fear.
For one who is wholly free from craving,
There's no grief, much less fear."
- The Buddha
"It is in the nature of greed to be dissatisfied with what one has - whether a little, or a lot.
The more obtained, the more desired -
Until the cycle of greed becomes the cycle of pain."
