The Sharingan, or, a Modern Parable
Once upon a time, there was a young man who was blessed by the Kami. He was handsome, strong, and wealthy. In his youth, the Kami had offered him a single boon. He'd been hungry at the time (it was a lean year for the entire region), so he made a contract with the spirit to provide him with a bowl of rice and a fish, every day, for the rest of his life.
And so the man lived in his nice house on the riverside for several years, comfortably well-off, and needing to spend almost nothing on food because every day, the spirit would bring him his fish, and his bowl of rice, and this was pretty much enough for him, so he was satisfied.
One day the young man married a beautiful young woman. They shared the nice house, and he bought her nice clothes, and some for himself as well, so he'd look nice alongside her. They shared the rice and fish, and it was almost enough, but not quite, so they bought some extra from their neighbors. And they were happy, and in love, and all was well.
And eventually, in the way of such things, the woman had children, first one, then another, and more. And the couple were very happy to have children, and loved them very much. But now the rice and fish was not nearly enough, so they spent more of the man's money, buying more food from their neighbors, and clothes and toys for the children. And most of the time, they were happy.
But not all of the time. Sometimes, there would be a lean year, when the rice harvest was poor, and the fish were hungry. The spirit's bowl of rice would be small, and the fish would be small, too, and the couple would have to spend even more to be sure they had enough food. "Why do you bring me so little?" the man asked the spirit, "You promised I would not go hungry."
"I promised to bring you one bowl of rice, and one fish, oh man," answered the spirit. "I said nothing about your hunger, or your children's."
And so, slowly, the man grew poorer, as the money ran out, and he had to sell some of the nice clothes, and the toys, and the fine things he'd bought for his beautiful wife. Eventually she grew dissatisfied, and divorced him, and moved to a big city and got a huge alimony lawsuit against him. His children went with her, or ran off to join the army in order to make sure they would have enough to eat.
In the end he had to sell his nice house to his neighbor, and move into the hut he'd disdained for so long, in order to pay all the bills. And the spirit brought him his fish and his rice, and he sighed, and he ate it, and was not happy.
He looked out at his neighbor's fine new house, the neighbor's happy, beautiful wife in her fine new clothes, their children playing happily in the yard. And he wondered how they could keep it, when he with all his strength and his wealth and his gifts of the kami could not.
And so he went to look for his neighbor, to ask of the man how he managed it, and he did not find the man at first. He looked in the house, and in the road, and in the little shop where he'd bought the fish and sold his fine clothes and jewels.
And finally, he looked out at the river, and he saw his neighbor, sitting in a small boat with his oldest son, fishing.
And so the man lived in his nice house on the riverside for several years, comfortably well-off, and needing to spend almost nothing on food because every day, the spirit would bring him his fish, and his bowl of rice, and this was pretty much enough for him, so he was satisfied.
One day the young man married a beautiful young woman. They shared the nice house, and he bought her nice clothes, and some for himself as well, so he'd look nice alongside her. They shared the rice and fish, and it was almost enough, but not quite, so they bought some extra from their neighbors. And they were happy, and in love, and all was well.
And eventually, in the way of such things, the woman had children, first one, then another, and more. And the couple were very happy to have children, and loved them very much. But now the rice and fish was not nearly enough, so they spent more of the man's money, buying more food from their neighbors, and clothes and toys for the children. And most of the time, they were happy.
But not all of the time. Sometimes, there would be a lean year, when the rice harvest was poor, and the fish were hungry. The spirit's bowl of rice would be small, and the fish would be small, too, and the couple would have to spend even more to be sure they had enough food. "Why do you bring me so little?" the man asked the spirit, "You promised I would not go hungry."
"I promised to bring you one bowl of rice, and one fish, oh man," answered the spirit. "I said nothing about your hunger, or your children's."
And so, slowly, the man grew poorer, as the money ran out, and he had to sell some of the nice clothes, and the toys, and the fine things he'd bought for his beautiful wife. Eventually she grew dissatisfied, and divorced him, and moved to a big city and got a huge alimony lawsuit against him. His children went with her, or ran off to join the army in order to make sure they would have enough to eat.
In the end he had to sell his nice house to his neighbor, and move into the hut he'd disdained for so long, in order to pay all the bills. And the spirit brought him his fish and his rice, and he sighed, and he ate it, and was not happy.
He looked out at his neighbor's fine new house, the neighbor's happy, beautiful wife in her fine new clothes, their children playing happily in the yard. And he wondered how they could keep it, when he with all his strength and his wealth and his gifts of the kami could not.
And so he went to look for his neighbor, to ask of the man how he managed it, and he did not find the man at first. He looked in the house, and in the road, and in the little shop where he'd bought the fish and sold his fine clothes and jewels.
And finally, he looked out at the river, and he saw his neighbor, sitting in a small boat with his oldest son, fishing.