Cost Analysis on Life

The Secret Of A Successful Life

There lived a hermit from Hushan during the Han dynasty in China. Having discovered the source of elixir of immortality he wandered around the countryside looking for disciples. He did not find any since his visit was during the harvest; and all hands were too busy to hear his wondrous message. Thereupon he went to the cities; there his reception was very cold. You see the city folks also had to think of their bills and raising families.
After years of fruitless searching he decided that wisdom was the principal thing to look for. While his contemporaries became old and ancient he went on from strength to strength. His wisdom was of the most marvelous kind. He learnt to understand animals of the farm and birds of the air. He listened to lovers courting their loved ones and smiled at the inanities in expression; and he heard the pride and power of riches as well as the whining tone of poor and the despised. He saw how hollow were the promise of rulers who looked only their welfare than of the ruled. When his wisdom made him see how shallow his own kind were he dismissed wisdom as of a trifle. “Who will clean up all these selfishness and evil reigning in the hearts of my race?” He frowned. “No, how annoying is this! ”
He swore that he would make himself a man of action rather than a man of intellect.
He went about doing good works and avenging the hurts of poor and the dispossessed. Since he was immortal he went to the highest places, before judges, kings and even the emperor to establish the rule of the just. He succeeded in making the custodians of Law and Good Government receive his case as proper and good. But nothing came out of it. The poor became poorer and the dispossessed slid still further into misery.
“Why,” he wailed in desperation. He was mostly sorry that his life was a failure. “How long and how long should I endure this? He wanted to cry but could not. Thus he stood under a willow tree desolate and stone cold at the bitter prospects of having no end in sight. The wind said to him: “Immortality in one who expects no failings is no better than a few good successes and a moderate span of life.” The old man from Hushan stared on.
“My strength is such that I can throw you a furlong along,” said the wind to the old man, “yet not pluck your long beard out. You win some and lose many others. In knowing what would be my level is the success of my life.” The hermit was past hearing that good advice since he had become an immortal with his senses stone dead.
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