Reward and Punishment

The Scholar’s Life

In a certain village lived a great scholar, but very few people were capable of recognizing his merit. The scholar never sought to publicize himself and consequently remained poor.

A Noble Encounter

One day, a nobleman camped in the village and came into contact with the scholar. He was highly impressed by the scholar’s wisdom and learning.

A Gift from the King

Upon returning to the capital, the nobleman told the king all about the scholar, expressing regret that such a learned man lived the life of a pauper. In response, the king sent a gift of a thousand gold mohurs to the scholar through two trusted messengers.

The Refusal

When the scholar heard of the gift, he paused for a moment in thought. He then firmly stated, “Please take the gift back. I cannot accept this!”

A Lesson in Wisdom

After the perplexed messengers departed, the scholar’s wife asked, “What was the wisdom in refusing the gift?” The scholar explained, “The king remains personally ignorant of my merit. He decided to reward me because someone has praised me before him. If tomorrow someone criticizes me, he may decide to punish me. If I happily accept the reward today, I should also willingly receive his punishment tomorrow. Since I cannot do that, I refused the reward.”