Only a Needle!

There was an old merchant who was as miserly as he was wealthy. His only mission in life seemed to be hoarding money.

One morning, he noticed a mendicant approaching him. Immediately, he came forward with his usual response: “I have nothing to give you now. Come back later…”

The mendicant replied, “I have not come here to take anything from you but to give you this needle. Please keep it and return it to me when you are born again.”

The merchant laughed and said, “Are you mad? How can I carry your needle to my next birth?”

“No?” exclaimed the mendicant. “I thought you must know some secret of carrying things to your next birth. Otherwise, how do you justify devoting all your time to hoarding money, knowing that you are already old and that you cannot take your possessions with you when you die?”

The mendicant sighed and walked away. The merchant stood in thought for a long time. His perspective changed, and he began spending his money on good causes.