BETTER TO ACCUMULATE VIRTUE FOR OUR CHILDREN
Contributed & Posted by Ms Tan Beng Luan (Chen Ming Luan) on 4 Feb 2001
In Shanghai, around the 1910s, a middle aged man in a rickshaw wondering around one of the slum areas of Shanghai. He took a glance at some half-torn houses and quickly scribed something on a piece of paper he was holding.
When he got home, he went into his study and started to write. He was writing these words on small pieces of papers : two kati of rice, one set of winter clothes, and ended with a sentence said "collect them from Ai Ren Shan Hui" (Benevolence Charity Association).
The next night, he went to the same slum area and inserted the small piece of paper into those half-torn houses quietly.
His name is Chen Zhi Fang, from Hang Zhou, China. He was a very successful businessman and owned a textile factory, a tooth brush factory and a textile shop. He used profit generated by his business to do charity. In winter, he gave away rice and clothes, in summer, he gave away medicines and paid for the coffins needed by the poor and the destitute. He even went to the
rice shop to select good quality rice and check on them when the rice was delivered to the Ai Ren Shan Hui. He only used his salary on his family.
One day, his 8-year-old daughter asked him "Father, why did you give away all your money and do not leave them for me and brother?". Her father answered, "It is better to accumulate virtue for my children than accumulate wealth for them" (Ji Cai Yu Zi Sun, Bu Ru Ji De Yu Zi Sun) He further expressed his thinking, "If you all are better than I am, what the use of the money? If
you all are worse than I am, what the use of the money?" (Er Sun Bi Wa Hao, Yao Qian Zuo Shen Mo? Er Sun Bu Ru Wa, Yao Qian Zuo Shen Mo?)
I heard the above story in 1992. It was narrated by Mrs Louisa Woo, that 8 year-old girl in the story.
We would like to thank Ms. Tan Beng Luan (Chen Ming Luan Xiao Jie) from Singapore
for her generosity in sharing this great story with us. We hope to see more
stories from her in the future. Wishing Ms. Tan happiness, good health, success and
prosperity.
Thank you.
best regards,
Koo Hang Boon (Gao Han Yi)
GraciousHearts.Com
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