Once upon a time, there was a rich man. He loved his son very much. Because he wanted to make his son have a happy life, he decided to send him to see a smart old man for advice on happiness. When the old man knew about this, he gave the boy an empty bowl and asked him to go to the river and fill the bowl with water. "If no water is spilt (洒) when you come back, I will tell you about it."
The boy walked to the river and came back with a bowl of water. The old man asked him, "Did you notice the beautiful flowers along the road and the birds singing in the trees?" The boy could say nothing about them because he pay much attention to the bowl in his hands.
The old man smiled and said, "Bring me another bowl of water and enjoy the flowers and the singing of birds."
When he came back, the boy could describe everything he had seen to the old man. But when he looked at his bowl, he found most water was gone. He forgot all about his bowl when he enjoyed the beautiful things along the road.
"Well, young man," the old man said. "Enjoy the beauty of the world, but never forget your dream in your heart. This is the secret of happiness."
