The Promise of a Child and the Lesson on Fairness

A child made a vow to feed the entire world, but when he truly became wealthy, three hundred PhDs advised him to abandon that promise because it would destroy the world.

One Sunday morning, the streets were bathed in bright sunlight, with dust swirling behind bicycles rattling past. The cry of a bread vendor echoed from the distant market corner, and the scent of sizzling scallion oil drifted on the breeze. A father took his young son out for a walk, his belly slightly protruding under a thin shirt, holding his boy’s hand tightly. The child insisted, “Dad, I want noodle soup, but please stop and buy me a meat sandwich!” The father smiled and nodded, pulling over to buy a hot sandwich with a crispy crust and melting fat. The boy held the sandwich, blowing on it to cool it down.

They were an ordinary family living in a small suburban neighborhood, where the father worked as a laborer and the mother sold goods on the street. The child grew up amidst meals that were often insufficient, rarely getting to eat such treats. For him, that Sunday morning sandwich was a rare luxury. Just before taking a bite, he froze. By the roadside stood a ragged man, skin and bones, with deep-set eyes staring at the sandwich, drool dripping onto the dusty ground. He had not eaten anything for three days.

Seeing this, the child’s heart tightened, and tears welled in his eyes. He respectfully offered the sandwich with both hands, stepping forward: “Uncle, please eat this; I give it to you.” The man accepted in shock, biting deeply, chewing vigorously, and swallowing quickly, then stared longingly at the child’s empty hands, hoping for more. Sad, the child turned to his father: “Dad, why are there people so hungry and suffering? I make a vow: one day I will become the richest person in the world. When I am, anyone who asks for food will receive it immediately. They just need to call me, and I will send food right away. No one in this world shall go hungry!”

Thirty years passed, and that childhood promise became a magnificent reality. The boy was now the wealthiest billionaire on the planet, sitting in a glass villa, running a business empire with hundreds of branches across the globe. Under his command were three hundred PhDs in economics, finance, and logistics, each earning thousands of dollars monthly, working day and night to help him control the world economy. One day, he gathered these scholars in a luxurious conference room, the air conditioning humming softly. He stood up, eyes shining brightly: “Do you remember my childhood dream and promise? If I became the richest, I would feed everyone in need. Anyone calling would have food delivered instantly. Now, I fulfill this promise and announce it to the world!”

Upon hearing this, the three hundred scholars knelt in unison, their faces pale. A representative spoke with a trembling voice: “Sir, please discard that absurd promise!” The billionaire was stunned: “Why? This is a benevolent and beautiful vow, yet you call it absurd?” The scholar shook his head: “Consider this: if people only need to make a phone call to get food, will they still work? No. Then your employees, paid to serve others, won’t bother working either, since they can also call for free food. Even we three hundred will quit, staying home waiting for calls, refusing to work.”

The billionaire retorted: “Then where will I get the goods to give?” The scholar lowered his head: “The world will descend into chaos immediately. Police will not catch criminals, soldiers will not defend the country, farmers will not plow fields, miners will stop extracting oil, and banks will close. Your entire business empire will collapse, and the world will follow. Your well-intentioned promise turns out to be a global disaster!” The billionaire stood silent, hands braced on the table, sighing heavily. He realized: a promise made in poverty becomes a catastrophe when fulfilled in wealth. Reluctantly, he nodded: “Alright, I sadly withdraw that promise.”

From then on, the billionaire’s empire operated normally again, with everyone working for their own effort, preventing the world from collapsing. The billionaire understood: people eat and dress warmly thanks to their contributions; nothing comes without cost. Fairness is the foundation for human striving. He abandoned the idea of giving freely without merit, returning to build a business system based on the value of labor.

Later, this story became a profound lesson: believing in fairness allows people to progress. To establish national ethics, one must establish fairness, teaching the law of cause and effect (karmic law) in schools. Trusting the promises of those not yet enlightened, like Bhikshu Dharmakara’s forty-eight super-realistic vows, is similar to promising to feed the whole world—it sounds beautiful, but upon becoming a Buddha, he would realize it cannot be done because it breaks life’s fairness.

The Meaning of the Story

Well-intentioned promises made before reaching truth are often unrealistic; once enlightened, a Buddha sees many ancient vows cannot be fulfilled because they break fairness. Life requires fairness for people to strive, so one cannot rely on metaphysical promises to achieve blessings from merit unfairly. We must uphold the law of cause and effect (karmic law) and samsara (cycle of rebirth) as the foundation of morality.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang