A rich man asked a Zen master to write something down that could ensure the prosperity of his family for years to come. It would be something that the family could cherish for generations.
The master wrote on a large piece of paper, “Father dies, son dies, grandson dies.”
The rich man became angry when he saw the master’s work. “I asked you to write something down that could bring happiness and prosperity to my family. Why do you give me something expressing like this?”
“If your son should die before you,” the master answered, “it would bring unbearable grief to your family. If your grandson should die before your son, this also would bring great sorrow. If your family, generation after generation, departs in the order I have described, it will be the natural course of life. This is true happiness and prosperity.”
Image: A postage stamp issued by Thailand in 1984 features a sculpture of the Buddha in Sukhothai style in the Bhumiphassa mudra. Courtesy https://www.buddhiststamp.com/