Two Kinds of People in the World

On a quiet village road, bathed in the pale golden light of late afternoon, a well-dressed man walked while smoking. Behind him, candy wrappers and cigarette butts scattered like fallen leaves. He did not bother to look back, continuing his stride as the wind carried his litter into every corner.

At the far end of the road, an elderly woman with a bent back held a bamboo broom, quietly sweeping small piles of trash. She picked up each scrap of paper and candy wrapper, placing them into a worn plastic bag. Sweat dotted her forehead, yet her eyes remained bright, reflecting a silent joy.

The man was a wealthy merchant who owned cars, villas, and designer clothes. Yet, he dropped trash wherever it was convenient. He thought, “I am rich; I have the right to discard things. The poor must clean up after me.” In contrast, the old woman lived in poverty in a thatched hut, but she gathered trash whenever she saw it. She sought no payment or praise, only wishing for a clean path so others could walk comfortably.

One day, the merchant passed by and saw the old woman bending down to pick up a candy wrapper he had just thrown away. He sneered, “You crazy old woman! Why pick up trash? No one is paying you.”

The old woman looked up and smiled gently. “My child, the trash belongs to no one. But if everyone discards waste, this world becomes a dump. If everyone picks it up, this world becomes a garden.”

The merchant froze. Her words pierced his heart like an arrow. He suddenly realized that despite his wealth, he only made the world dirtier. Meanwhile, the impoverished old woman was making the world cleaner.

From that day on, the merchant began to change. He stopped littering. He even bought extra brooms and sacks, distributing them to the poor villagers so they could clean together. Each time he saw the old woman, he bowed his head in deep respect.

The old woman continued to sweep silently, unaware that she had transformed a person’s life. She acted out of love, simply wanting the world to be more beautiful. This is the mind of a bodhisattva.

The Meaning of the Story

This tale distinguishes between two types of people: those who enjoy discarding trash (selfish, thinking only of themselves) and those who enjoy picking it up (altruistic, thinking of others). A person with the mind of a bodhisattva sees what is good and beneficial and immediately thinks of all sentient beings, wishing to share and ensure everyone enjoys the benefit. This is the difference between an ordinary being and a bodhisattva.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang