提 要

True wealth is not measured by money and property we have! It is in the friendship, relationship and good compassion we share with the others.（衡量「真正的財富」，並非由擁有的金錢、資產多寡，而是由能與他人分享的友誼、人際關係和良好的同情心。）

Once upon a time, there lived a very rich man in a big town. He had all sorts of wealth and led a luxurious life. He had every luxury at his footstep and could afford to feed for the entire people of his town. He always boasted his luxurious life to his friends and relatives.

His son was studying in a distant place and he returned home for vacation. The rich man wanted to show off to his son how rich his father was and how he made him very proud. But his son wasn't ever fond of any luxurious lifestyle.

However, the rich man wanted to make his son realize that his lifestyle was extremely rich and how the poor people did suffer. He planned for a day visit to the entire town to show him off the life of the poor people.

The father and the son took a chariot and visited the entire town. They returned home after two days. The father was happy that his son was very quiet after seeing the poor people honouring the rich man and after seeing the sufferings of the poor ones due to lack of facilities.

The rich man asked his son, "Dear boy, how was the trip? Have you enjoyed it?" "Yes, father, it was a great trip with you." The son replied.

"So, what did you learn from the trip? " The Father asked.

The son was silent.

"Finally you have realized how the poor suffer and how they actually are. "said the father. "No, father." replied the son.

He added, "We have only two dogs, they have ten. We have a big pool in our garden, but they have a massive bay without any ends! We have luxurious and expensive lights imported from various countries, but they have countless stars lighting their nights. We have a house in a small piece of land, but they have abundant fields that go beyond the sight. We are served by servants, but they serve people.

We are protected by huge and strong walls around our property, but they bond with each other and surround themselves. We only buy food from them, but they are so rich to cultivate their own food."

The rich father was stunned to hear his son's words and he was completely speechless.

Finally the son added, "Thank you, Dad, so much for showing me who is rich and who is poor and let me understand how poor we are!"

解 釋

很久以前，有一個大鎮住著一個非常富有的人，他擁有各種各樣的財富，讓他過著優渥的生活；他堆到腳邊的奢侈品，足以養活全鎮的人，他也總是對朋友和親戚吹噓自己的生活如何奢華。

富人在遠方求學的兒子，放假回家。富人想在兒子面前炫耀他的父親是多麼富有，他是如何讓他自豪。但他的兒子完全不喜歡這種浪費的生活方式。

雖然如此，富人仍想讓他的兒子知道，他的生活方式是多麼享受，而窮人是多麼受罪。他安排「一日遊」訪問整個鎮，準備對窮人炫富。

父子兩人乘著馬車，參觀了整個小鎮，兩天後他們才回到家中。富人很得意地認為，他的兒子是因為看到缺乏設施的窮人向富人致敬後，心情激動所以沉默不語。

富人問兒子：「親愛的孩子，怎麼樣，喜歡嗎？」 「是的，父親，跟你一起旅行很棒。」兒子回答。

「那麼，你從旅行學到了什麼？」富人問，兒子沉默了。

「你終於知道窮人如何受苦，看清楚他們實際的生活了。」富爸爸說，「不是的，爸爸。」兒子回答。

兒子接著說：「我們只有兩隻狗，他們有十隻；我們在花園有個大水池，但他們有看不到邊界的港灣！我們有各國的昂貴進口豪華燈具，但他們有數不清的星星照亮夜空；我們在一小塊土地上蓋房子，但他們有無窮盡的田野；我們需要佣人服務，但他們服務眾人。

「我們躲在圍繞我們財產的巨大城牆接受保護，他們心手相連彼此捍衛；我們只能向他們購買食物，但他們物產豐富，可以自給自足。」

富人聽完兒子的話震驚不已，一個字也說不出。

「最後」，兒子補充：「謝謝你，爸爸，讓我知道到底誰是富人、誰是窮人。也讓我明白，我們是多麼地貧窮！」