The eight coins

Two friends set out on a pilgrimage and halted for the night at a small temple. One carried three flatbreads, while the other had five. As they prepared to share their meal, a weary traveller arrived seeking shelter. They warmly invited him to join them.

The eight flatbreads were each divided into three equal pieces, making 24 pieces in total. Since there were three people, each ate eight pieces. The next morning, before leaving, the traveller expressed his gratitude by offering eight silver coins to the two friends. A dispute soon arose over how the coins should be divided. The friend who had brought five flatbreads took five coins and offered three to the other.

The friend with three flatbreads objected. He argued, "What matters is not who brought how much, but the spirit of sharing. Since we both willingly shared our food, the reward should be divided equally. The other friend disagreed. "You contributed three flatbreads and I contributed five. Naturally, I deserve five coins and you deserve three."

Unable to resolve the matter, they approached the temple priest, requesting a judgment that would be acceptable both to them and to God.

The priest entered the sanctum, saying, "Let me seek the Lord's guidance."

After an hour, he returned with the verdict.

"God's judgment is this," he declared. "The friend with three flatbreads should receive one coin, and the friend with five flatbreads should receive seven coins."

The first friend was astonished. "How can that be justice?"

The priest explained:

"You had three flatbreads, which became nine pieces. Since you yourself ate eight pieces, you actually contributed only one piece to the traveller.

Your friend had five flatbreads, which became fifteen pieces. After eating his own eight pieces, he contributed seven pieces to the traveller.

The traveller's eight coins represent payment for the eight pieces he consumed. Of those eight pieces, one came from you and seven came from your friend. Therefore, the rightful division is one coin and seven coins."

The two friends realised that while their own arguments seemed reasonable, true justice lay in understanding what each had actually contributed, not merely what each had originally possessed.

Moral

Human notions of fairness are often based on appearances or intentions. True justice is based on facts, reason, and actual contribution. When examined carefully, what seems equal may not always be equitable. Wisdom lies in looking beyond the obvious and judging with clarity rather than emotion.

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Pooja

Bangalore

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