The younger brother led a very different life, hoping to earn more money than his parents did. He cautiously saved his inheritance and could not understand his older brother's free and easy life. He thought, "Our parents left us a huge amount of property. Why doesn't my brother work hard like me to earn more?"

One day he saw that his brother, dressed very plainly, was about to go out again. He said to him contemptuously, "The only thing you can do after each meal is go straight to the temple. Why don't you spend more time increasing the treasure we inherited from our parents? Look, you are so irresponsible. How can you face our parents when you die? If they were still alive, they would be ashamed of you."

The older brother was not dismayed by this criticism. "People have different goals in life. I don't think striving after money is the only way to show respect to our parents. To me, the best way to show them respect is to help the needy with my wisdom and strength after I attain a thorough understanding of life by studying the Buddha's teachings in the temple."

The younger man was upset and thought his brother was irrationally foolish. From that moment on, he ignored his brother.

The older brother joyfully renounced all the unnecessary worries and agony of the human world, and he finally became a Buddhist monk. However, the younger brother lived a secular life and worked very hard. His life was consumed with business, and he ambitiously struggled to build a more remarkable fortune than his parents had. However, life is full of impermanence. Twenty years passed and the younger brother died of an illness. The older brother was by then a highly respected, dignified, wise monk.

One day as the monk was begging for alms, he saw a band of traveling merchants headed to town with oxcarts loaded with heavy cargoes. One of the oxen looked sturdy and solidly built. Although it appeared healthy and seemed to have good skin, it was exhausted and no longer had the strength to pull the cart. The enraged master violently whipped the beast.

The ox was beaten so badly that it prostrated itself on the ground. The cruel master, worried that he might not be able to catch up with his companions, kept whipping the animal.

The monk saw what was happening and tried to stop the angry man. When he approached the cart, he found the ox weeping pitifully. It raised its head and words for the monk poured out. The monk listened and concentrated in profound meditation. He realized that the ox was his brother, who was now suffering in this reincarnation.

He said to his brother, "In the past, you were trapped by your greed for wealth and you were consumed by your selfish pursuit of profit. Look how you suffer now!"

The ox heard these words and trembled in tears. He groveled on the ground and lamented his faults. The monk then said to the animal's master, "This ox shared a profound relationship with me in the past. In his previous life, he was lost in the pursuit of material gain. He spiritually imprisoned himself in his narrow mind-set and was trapped in avarice. He neglected to cultivate his mind and he was too selfish to give of himself to others. For all this, he was reborn in the form of an ox in this life. Would you please sell me this poor beast and let me ease its bitter suffering in this life?"

When he heard the monk's explanation, the owner also became aware of his own material cravings. He realized that avarice leads to tragic outcomes. Thus, he gave the ox to the monk free of charge. The monk led the ox back to his temple and whenever he lectured on the Buddha's teachings, the animal gently came close to listen. The ox lived the rest of his life in the temple.

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Life is full of changes. Yet, many people mistake impermanence for eternity and blindly pursue wealth and prestige. What can people take with them when death knocks at the door? Can they take with them the fortune that they painstakingly earned in this illusory life? In fact, they can take nothing but their karma with them when they die. Hence, giving alms and engaging in spiritual cultivation are the best ways to guarantee a rewarding life.