A rich man asked a Zen master to write something down that could
encourage the prosperity of his family for years to come. It would
be something that the family could cherish for generations. On a
large piece of paper, the master wrote, "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 depressing
like this?"
"If your son should die before you," the master answered, "this
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, disappears in the order I have
described, it will be the natural course of life. This is true
happiness and prosperity."
