Synopsis by William Disbro, created from: In The Ever After, by Allan B. Chinen, Chiron Publications, 1989. (pp 39-43)
A father and son set out on a sea voyage with a chest filled with all their treasure. After overhearing a plot to kill them to gain the treasure the father and son stage an argument on deck over the treasure. They open the chest to show all the gold and jewels during the argument and the father lifts the chest over the railing and dumps chest and all into the sea. The seamen are incredulous.
When the voyage ended the father went to the local magistrate and had the sailors arrested for piracy and attempted murder. The judge asked the sailors if they had seen the old man throw his treasure overboard Ð and they all agreed. The judge convicted them all, for: "What man would throw away his life's savings, except if he feared for his life?" The pirates replaced the merchant's jewels in return for the judge sparring their lives.
The elder merchant's wisdom depends on his knowledge of human evil and the motivation of human greed but he also must be able to master his own covetousness as in being able to throw his treasure overboard. Mastery of one's own evil is a prerequisite of wisdom.
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