What is good fortune?
Having time to read is good fortune; be able to support other people is good fortune; published something that helped formulating the grand scheme for a better world is good fortune; never having to hear about meaningless gossips is good fortune; being healthy is good fortune; never having to worry about mundane affairs is good fortune; never having to suffer from famine and war is good fortune; live a simple and peaceful life is good fortune.
Some Buddhists are dedicated in engaging themselves in something that may reward them with huge good fortunes. We need to ask the question: is this desirable? The question actually pinpoints what is particularly difficult when you try to practice the Bodhisattva way of living. You cannot practice the Bodhisattva way without the help of some fortunes. Nevertheless: “rather be a (wise) Arahant that holds an empty bowl than being an (ignorant) elephant that wears jewels.”
One becomes greedy if he/she keeps on pursuing good fortunes. As such, he/she lacks wisdom and becomes an animal in the future lives, being an elephant. People will decorate the elephant with jewels and offer it plenty of food. The animal will never have to worry about being hungry. This is fortunate and rare. On the other hand, one can also pursue wisdom only, eventually becomes an Arahant, which is also rare, but ends up suffering from constant hunger because he/she never took the trouble to cultivate his/her own fortunes.
In the mundane world, people with wealth and power are admired. This actually may become an obstacle for that person’s spiritual pursuit. You always get your way and get what you want. Eventually, you become an insatiable person and suffer more from your own good fortunes. The less fortunate people would have to deal more often with their difficult daily lives. Subsequently, they become more keenly aware the origins of dukka, hence acquire better improvement in their spiritual practices.
To be a wise Buddhist, you need to learn the proper to utilize your fortune, also the proper way to mend your unfortunateness. The genuine fortune for a practitioner of Buddhism is plainly to live a simple and peaceful life.
