Bad luck cannot crush belief.

Author: Jiang Guangyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Cherish what you have. The Buddha once told a story in the scriptures: A young man sailed overseas and, after enduring countless hardships, found a rare sandalwood tree. Sandalwood trees are scarce, with only one or two in a vast tropical rainforest. The outer bark had decayed, but the heartwood remained intact and emitted an extraordinary fragrance. Unlike other woods, sandalwood could sink in water. However, when sold in the market, it attracted no interest and was even less desirable than charcoal. So, he burned it into charcoal. His elderly father heard about this and couldn't help but shed tears. After all, sandalwood was the world's most precious tree. Just a small piece, ground into powder, was worth far more than a truckload of charcoal. In reality, there are also many who fail to recognize hidden treasures, mistaking sandalwood for mere charcoal.
Roy, a gem dealer from Texas, traveled to Arizona to attend a folk jade exhibition. At a small stall, he was rummaging through a basin filled with cheap jade, looking for a low-priced piece. Suddenly, he discovered a mud-covered, purple stone the size of a potato. Roy asked, "Will you sell it for $15?" The vendor replied, "I'll sell it for $10." Upon returning home, Roy cleaned the mud off the stone and examined it with a magnifying glass. To his delight, it was indeed a natural blue sapphire, weighing 1,905 carats—the world's largest blue sapphire. While everyone was impressed by Roy's sharp eyes, they couldn't help but feel sorry for the vendor.
During the War of Resistance, Guo Moruo once lived in Chongqing for a period. One day, while browsing through stalls, he was suddenly captivated by a small bronze tiger that could be split in half. Could this be a rare historical artifact—a tiger token?! Guo Moruo was not mistaken. This small bronze tiger was indeed the official token used by emperors in the Spring and Autumn, Warring States, Qin, Han, and Sui dynasties to grant military authority to their subordinates or mobilize troops. While admiring Guo Moruo's "treasure hunt" at the stall, one couldn't help but feel sorry for the vendor.
Few people own gems and artifacts, but each of us possesses wealth no less valuable than gems and artifacts. Those who regret not recognizing the treasures they own are rare, but those who regret not recognizing the wealth they possess, which is no less valuable than gems and artifacts, are many.
A young man, full of ambition to make a mark in the business world, was troubled by a lack of capital. So, he sought advice from an elderly man who had achieved considerable success in his career. The elder listened and said, "How about this: I'll pay you 100,000 yuan to buy your hand?" "Cut it off for you?" "Yes." "How could I possibly do that?" "What if I offered 100,000 yuan for your foot?" "That's no better." "What if I offered 1 million yuan for your brain?" "That's even worse!" The elder smiled and said, "Then you should no longer complain about having nothing. You already own 1 million yuan in capital." The young man was enlightened: In life, life and wisdom are invaluable potential wealth. In this sense, none of us are truly penniless. Each of us has 1 million yuan in capital—or even more.
Gold buried underground is no different in value from mud. Discovering and recognizing oneself can sometimes be harder than discovering and recognizing the outside world. Discovering and recognizing