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A traveller went to a shopkeeper for purchases. He asked the price of a coconut. The shopkeeper demanded five rupees. The customer thought the price was too high. After some bargaining the shopkeeper was ready to sell a coconut for a rupee. But even this was not acceptable to the customer.
The traveller really went up to the trees, and when he saw the loaded trees, he was tempted to take all the coconuts. His cupidity was provoked and regardless of consequences he promptly climbed up a tree and plucked dozens of coconuts. However, he failed to find a way to climb down. Suddenly, he saw a camel rider in the distance and called out to him for help. The traveller tempted him with ten coconuts and persuaded him to get him down. While the camel rider stood up to help the traveller come down, he lost hold on the nose-string and the camel moved away. Now both were suspended in mid air. Who would save whom? Down below death stared them in the form of a deep well. They looked around and chanced to see a horseman riding. Once again, a ray of hope was kindled. Promising thirty coconuts in exchange for the help sought, they persuaded the horseman to rescue them. Standing on the horse's back, as soon as the horseman caught hold of the camel rider, the bridle slipped out of his hand and the horse moved away. As a result, all three of them remained suspended in mid air. The third and the second men said to the first man : "Brother! Now our life is in your hands. Don't lose hold of the coconut tree and we will give you five hundred coconuts." The offer of five hundred coconuts was too much for the traveller to resist. He spread his hands wide to express his joy. That was the moment for them to pay the price of their greed. All three fell down into the well and died. Survival is impossible when one is in grip of avarice. Man loses his sense of good and bad when he is obsessed with the craving for happiness. The mirage of worldly pleasures misleads the human mind. A man devoid of self-restraint, wisdom, and right vision, can never be at rest in the face even of a small gain since his greed turns it into a very big temptation.
------------------------------------------------ It hurts to give up; therefore don't accumulate more than what is necessary.
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The shopkeeper was quite annoyed at the
customer's greed. He said sarcastically, "Brother! Right there in the front
there are plenty of coconut trees. Go there and get as many as you want for
nothing."