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."
