Sayings of Ramakrishna 261

Greed brings woe, while contentment is all happiness. 

A barber was once passing under a haunted tree, when he heard a voice say, "Will you accept of seven jars of gold?"  

The barber looked round, but could see no one. The mysterious voice again repeated the words, and the cupidity of the barber being greatly roused by the spontaneous offer of such vast wealth, he spoke aloud, "When the merciful God is so good as to take pity even on a poor barber like me, is there anything to be said as to my accepting the kind offer so generously made?"

 At once the reply came, "Go home, I have already carried the jars thither." 

The barber ran in hot haste to his house, and was transported to see the promised jars there. He opened them one after another and saw them all filled, save one which was half filled. 

Now arose the desire of filling this last jar in the heart of the barber. So he sold all his gold and silver ornaments and converted them into coins and threw them into the jar. But the jar still remained empty. 

He now began to starve himself and his family by living upon insufficient, coarse, and cheap food, throwing all his savings into the jar, but the jar remained as empty as ever. 

The barber then requested the King to increase his pay, as it was not sufficient to maintain him and his family. As he was a favorite of the King, the latter granted his request. 

The barber now began to save all his pay and emoluments, and throw them all into the jar, but the greedy jar showed no sign of being filled. He now began to live by begging, and became as wretched and miserable as ever. 

One day the King seeing his sad plight, inquired of him by saying, "Hallo! when your pay was half of what you get now, you were far happier and more cheerful, contented, and healthy, but with double that pay I see you morose, careworn, and dejected. Now what is the matter with you? Have you accepted the seven jars of gold?"

The barber was taken aback by this home thrust, and with clasped hands asked the King as to who had informed his majesty about the matter. 

The King answered, "Whosoever accepts the riches of a Yaksha is sure to be reduced to such an abject and wretched plight. I have known you through this invariable sign. Do away with the money at once. You cannot spend a farthing of it. That money is for hoarding and not for spending." 

The barber was brought to his senses by this advice and went to the haunted tree and said, "O Yaksha, take back your gold," and he returned home to find the seven jars vanished, taking with them his lifelong savings. 

Nevertheless, he began to live happily after it.