Living According to One's Merit

Two men, outwardly similar, yet one perpetually faced failure while the other always succeeded. The secret lay in the fact that one dreamed beyond the measure of his merit, while the other knew how to live contentedly with what he had.

In the late afternoon, as pale golden sunlight draped over the stone benches in the park, two men sat side by side, their eyes gazing into the distance. They were of similar age, their appearances equally ordinary. Yet their voices carried two entirely different tones.

The man on the left, arms crossed over his chest, spoke in a deeply subdued voice: "My life has been nothing but failure. Time and again, everything I try is lost."

The man on the right, with a soft smile, replied in a contrasting, light tone: "My life? Always successful. Whatever I desire, I obtain."

A passerby, overhearing this, paused with curiosity. Looking at them, he saw no distinguishing features. They had the same ordinary eyes, nose, and mouth. But why did one sound so melancholic, while the other seemed so serene?

"Could you tell me more?" the passerby asked the unsuccessful man.

The unsuccessful man sighed deeply. "First, I dreamed of becoming a doctor. I studied endlessly, took the exams repeatedly, but ultimately failed. Second, I wanted to become a provincial vice-chairman. That also came to nothing. Third, I dreamed of buying a Lamborghini – worth over ten billion dong – but I had no money. Fourth, I fell for a beauty queen, but she wouldn't spare me a glance. Fifth, I wanted to build a mansion on the most beautiful plot of land in the city – not enough funds. Sixth, I decided to marry three wives at once to spite the beauty queen – but none would have me. Seven failures, seven heartaches."

The man beside him nodded thoughtfully. "And me? I took the entrance exam for a vocational school in mechanical engineering – I passed. I became a factory worker and became skilled at my trade. Second, I dreamed of becoming a neighborhood group leader – I was elected immediately. Third, I fell in love with a girl – she loved me back right away. Fourth, I dreamed of buying a Mercedes – I bought one, a 1800 model, fixed it up so it runs, and when it runs out of gas, I just get out and push. Fifth, I simply wished to live peacefully in a small corner – and I have that."

The passerby listened, then fell silent.

The unsuccessful man's eyes widened. "How can you be happy with such ordinary things?"

The other man replied gently, "Because those things were within my reach. I don't dream beyond my own capacity. Every dream of mine is contained within the measure of my merit. So I am always successful. And success, however small, brings happiness."

The unsuccessful man lowered his head, his fists clenching tightly, then slowly relaxing. He realized that all along, he had been living in the illusion that only achieving something grand constituted true success. But in reality, success is not about reaching a distant pinnacle; it is about living contentedly with what one has and being grateful for it.

From that day on, he began to change. He stopped dreaming of distant, lofty things. He learned to look again at the small things around him – a stable job, a decent relationship, a peaceful home. He began to feel happy.

As for the man beside him, he remained the same – smiling, living simply, and finding each day worthwhile.

**Meaning of the Story**

This story reminds us of a truth: Happiness does not lie in achieving distant dreams, but in living harmoniously with one's own merit and blessings. When our dreams exceed our capacity, we often encounter failure and suffering. But when we learn to dream within our grasp, we will always succeed and be happy. To live according to one's merit, to dream according to one's merit – this is the secret to a peaceful and fulfilling life.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Most Venerable Thích Chân Quang