The Shadow of Wealth

The faint glow of an oil lamp cast wavering shadows upon the old brick wall of a roadside tea house in the Mekong Delta. The late night air was still and silent, filled only with the constant chirping of insects and the fragrance of pipe tobacco mingling with the warm scent of glutinous rice wine. Two figures sat facing each other across a polished ebony table, their silence heavy with a tension like a taut string about to snap.

These were Hắc Công Tử and Bạch Công Tử – two figures famed for their immense wealth, commanding respect and fear throughout the region. They were not merely rich; they carried their pride like a towering beacon, each fiercely yearning to be recognized as the "number one." In their eyes, the other's very existence was a blemish to be erased, or at the very least, dimmed by the radiance of their own glory.

A gentle breeze suddenly swept through, causing a five-dong banknote to slip from Hắc Công Tử's hand and fall onto the dark ground. He leaned down, his keen eyes straining to search in the dim, murky spaces. His hand trembled as he felt across each cold centimeter of the earth, sweat beginning to bead on his brow despite the cool weather. The helplessness of losing even such a small sum seemed to pierce his deepest sense of self-worth.

Observing every move from across the table, Bạch Công Tử wore a half-smile rich with unspoken meaning. He calmly produced a twenty-dong note – four times the value of the lost bill. What he did next made the surrounding air seem to freeze. Bạch Công Tử struck a match and set the twenty-dong note alight. The flame surged violently, transforming into a small, brilliant torch.

He lowered the burning torch toward the ground, clearly illuminating the five-dong note trapped beneath the table leg. The dancing flames reflected in Hắc Công Tử's astonished eyes. On one side was the meticulous counting over a few coins; on the other, a reckless waste merely to prove: "I hold money in contempt; I am superior to you because I dare to burn it."

Hắc Công Tử stood frozen, his heart constricted. He felt no joy at finding the money, only a surge of vexation rising to his throat. His pride was deeply wounded. He understood that in this invisible race, he had lost completely. Not for a lack of money, but for lacking the "audacity" to play this game of the powerful. The envy, or more precisely, the jealous mind, had gnawed away at his reason, transforming any friendship that might have existed into a smoldering hatred.

**The Meaning of the Story:**

This story illustrates the second aspect of the jealous mind: envy concerning material possessions and worldly gains. When people place excessive importance on winning, losing, and saving face, they are ready to destroy tangible values – like burning money – merely to satisfy their deluded sense of self. The jealous mind not only causes suffering to others but also consumes the happiness and inner peace of its owner, enslaving them to constant comparison.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang.