(Minghui.org) Jealousy is the root cause of much misery, and as the story below shows, people have learned the hard way.
The story goes, an angel came to a good farmer’s home and told him, “God has observed that you are a good person. Thus, he wants to grant you three wishes. However, there is a condition. Whatever you wish for, your neighbor will get double.”
Green with Envy after First Wish
The farmer was very happy and asked for enough grain that would last him for a whole year.
A large pile of grain appeared at his doorstep the next morning, and two piles of grain appeared at his neighbor's doorstep.
The couple next door were very poor, so this was like a gift from heaven. The farmer became green with envy.
Infuriated Due to Jealousy after Second Wish
The angel returned a few days later to grant the farmer his second wish. This time he asked for a son.
His wife later gave birth to an adorable baby boy. The farmer felt very fortunate.
His neighbor came to congratulate him, and told him a that his wife also gave birth, to twins, a boy and a girl.
The farmer became infuriated, and though: “He is incapable and his wife is so ugly. What virtue does she have to give birth to a boy and a girl?”
Jealousy Arouses Deviant Third Wish
That evening, the angel came to grant the farmer his third wish. The farmer knelt down and asked that one of his arms be cut off. The angel was shocked, and asked him why.
“I can't take it anymore,” the farmer replied. “Why does my neighbor deserve to receive twice as much. I’d rather lose one of my arms so that he loses both of his arms. This way I'll feel peace in my heart.”
The angel was silent. The farmer looked up and saw tears streaming down the angel's cheeks.
“Why do you want to hurt yourself and others?” the angel inquired. “Don’t you know that you used to cultivate in the Dao, but you didn’t succeed because of your jealousy? In this life, you came back to the human world to suffer.”
She continued, “Your neighbor used to be your master. His virtue is far greater than yours, and he should be given much more than you. Repaying your karmic debts to him is the purpose of your life, so you can then return to heaven. This incident was also arranged. If you had not gotten jealous and instead felt happy for him, you would have received a much greater fortune!”
The farmer understood at once, but it was too late. The angel vanished without a trace. All he could do was to pounded his head on the floor in deep regret.
My Jealousy Revealed
Falun Dafa practitioners must reach a state of not being jealous when they see others' good fortune.
However, jealousy still fills my heart when I see others more fortunate than I. The feeling is not as extreme as that of the farmer, but I know that jealousy is a serious attachment in cultivation that practitioners must let go of completely.
When I heard that my friend's business had failed, I was secretly happy. When a friend bought a fancy car, I wondered how could he pay for it.
A humble relative who owns a billion dollar company met me for dinner one time. I lectured him during the meal, and said, “Money is exchanged for virtue! You can’t bring it along at birth or take it with you after death. We are only here on earth for a few decades. You should value virtue.” I acted as if I was very wise, but in reality I was jealous of his fortune, and trying to comfort myself.
If someone said that a practitioner had cultivated well, I would do my best to find and point out all of their inadequacies.
When a practitioner, who was regarded as being diligent, was admitted to hospital, I was quite excited and even said offensive things to him when I visited him.
Realization
I thought that I had cultivated well, but my shortcomings come to the surface when I face challenges. One’s cultivation level is not determined by one’s words, but by our actions.
I share my shortcomings on my attachment to jealousy in the hope to completely eliminate this mentality.
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Category: Improving Oneself
