Silk of generosity

There once was a kind, generous man. The man had barely any food, he had no home, and he wore rags. Though he had nothing, he shared the apples he picked, and the fish he caught with all the village.

Meanwhile, a rich man, clothed in silk, heard of this man everywhere, of his acts of kindness and giving. He was all everyone talked about. They spoke of him like a god, someone they worshipped. The rich man grew jealous. The rich man evicted the poor man, and said he was never to return to the village, that way he would return to his original fame.

The villagers found out, and grew angry at the rich. Shopkeepers would not sell him goods. People stopped going to his stores and services. People turned their heads away when he came.

After many days, the rich man could not take the cruelty of the village’s hate. He traveled long and hard, to find the poor man. Finally, he found the man, and asked him, “Why are you, a poor man wearing nothing but rags, so popular, and loved, while I wear silk and fine cloth, but I am hated and shamed?” The poor man replied, “Because you wear fine silks, but are covered in the dirt of greed. I wear poor rags, but am dressed in the silk of generosity.”