A half month ago, I was invited to give a speech to the inmates in a women's prison. Among the hundreds of inmates, there were quite a few pretty young girls and a couple of gray-haired old women. Out of curiosity, I asked the warden about their backgrounds and found out that they shared one thing in common * they hardly ever appreciated what they had, but often complained about what they didn't have. They even desired to get things that were quite beyond their reach.

Inmate A had a happy marriage, but she was addicted to gambling and spent all the family savings. She borrowed a large sum of money without telling her husband and finally committed fraud.

Inmate B had a happy family as well, but after she met another man through business contacts, she left her husband and child. Before long, her Prince Charming turned out to be a wolf. With the man's persuasion and intimidation, she too became a drug addict and trafficker.

Inmate C was a pretty young girl who had been brought up in a wealthy single-parent family. Unfortunately, she fell in love with a married man and was charged by his wife with "interfering with another's family." Her lover turned away from her. She lost her fortune and good reputation.

Hearing so many sad stories, I couldn't help but wonder why people always ignore the happiness which they already hold in their hands. Why do they chase something which is beyond their reach?

There is a story in the Buddhist sutras. Once, there was a woman who married a very wealthy man. They loved each other very much. She seemed to be blessed with all the good luck one could imagine. Not long afterwards, her husband went far away on business. She couldn't stand the loneliness and had an affair with another man.

Hoping to stay with each other forever, the lovers agreed to run away together. This man told her to steal all the precious jewelry and money from her home. She did everything he said and met him by a river. The man told her that to avoid suspicion, he would carry all the precious things across the river first and then come back to pick her up.

She agreed and waited by the river. However, day after day went by, but the man never came back for her. She didn't know what to do. She could only sit helplessly on the riverbank and cry.

Just at this time, she saw a dog carrying an eagle in its mouth. The dog walked to the riverside and saw fish in the water. It put down the eagle and tried to catch the fish. Naturally, the dog couldn't catch any fish and the eagle flew away.

The woman laughed at the dog's stupidity for giving up the eagle in its mouth while trying to catch the fish it could never get.

In response to the woman's laughter, the dog turned its head and said to her, "My stupidity only cost me a meal, while your stupidity has led you to a life of misery."