Ram Dass tells many stories of people vying for success for the sake of success. Many illustrations are used, and one of my favorites is when an eminent scientist is awarded the Noble Prize. When being interviewed by a reporter, the scientist is asked, "Now that you've won the Noble Prize, what's next?"
One could cynically view this kind of story as "what's the point then?" if all your work is for naught. But that misses the key concept - you still need to do your daily tasks, accomplish things for the good of society - but those accomplishments aren't the goal. Because if you worship success, you're setting yourself up for lifelong suffering because there's no concept of "enough success".
I was reminded of this during lunch today when flipping through the classic Benjamin Hoff book The Tao of Pooh. In that book there's this story of a Stonecutter, attributed to a Chinese fable. Whenever you find yourself envious of another person, or feeling downtrodden in general, it's a good story to think about.
There was once a stonecutter, who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.
One day, he passed a wealthy merchant's house, and through the open gateway, saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!" thought the stonecutter. He became very envious, and wished that he could be like the merchant. Then he would no longer have to live the life of a mere stonecutter.
To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever dreamed of, envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. But soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants, and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high official!"
Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around, who had to bow down before him as he passed. It was a hot summer day, and the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. "How powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the sun!"
Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. "How powerful that storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!"
Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. "How powerful it is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the wind!"
Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, hated and feared by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it -- a huge, towering stone. "How powerful that stone is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a stone!"
Then he became the stone, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the solid rock, and felt himself being changed. "What could be more powerful than I, the stone?" he thought. He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stonecutter.
"Lots of people talk to animals," said Pooh.
"Maybe but..."
"Not very many listen, though," he said.
"That's the problem," he added.
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