The Golden Mallard
Storyboard Text
- Mom, I hate to say this, but I'm in some financial trouble and I need help.
- What's going on honey? Let's go for a walk after dinner and we can talk more about this.
- Lucy, I thought you just said you were in financial trouble.. you can't afford to get that.
- Mom!! Oh my gosh, no way! This is the new blazer everyone has been wearing, I must get it!
- I will purchase that bag for you Lucy, but you need to stop prioritizing material things. There are much more important things in life. In our religion it is crucial to keep our desires to a minimum.
- Louis Vuitton
- Mom, that Louis Vuitton bag is so trendy and would be great for my new job!! Can I please get it?
- Lucy is a 22-year-old right out of college. She lives a luxurious life, even though she isn't making very much money at work. Her mom is a professor and is trying to guide Lucy to the right path.
- Mom, do you think you could pay the first payment on my new apartment? It'll make it easier for me to get started in life.
- That is a reasonable expense for me to pay. I would be happy to get you started at your new place! Then you can take over the rest of the payments after this one.
- Lucy is always looking for the latest, trendy item. She can't afford to buy the blazer, but she kindly asks for her mom to get it for her. Lucy argues that she can wear it for her new job, so her mom gives in and buys it for her.
- I am so excited for our weekend on the boat! My mom is paying for all of it!
- Wow! Thank her for me!!
- Lucy continues to desire material things and takes advantage of her moms generosity.
- Lucy, I have given you everything you have asked for because I know it's important to you, but I have no money left to give you. I feel like the Golden Mallard and you have plucked every last feather. I know it's hard to never desire anything, but when you prioritize experiences instead of material items, then you can focus on spirit and enlightenment.
- Lucy asks her mom to pay for another expense in her life. However, this ask is much more reasonable and important, unlike the other material items Lucy desired. Her mom agrees to pay for the first months rent on her new apartment.
- Lucy uses the money that her mom gave her for rent, on a weekend boat trip with her friend. She deceives her mom and doesn't tell her mom what the money is going to. Eventually, Lucy's mom finds out when Lucy's friend posts an instagram photo with Lucy on the boat. Outraged, Lucy's mom calls her and tells Lucy they need to talk as soon as she gets home.
- Lucy's mom learns that Lucy will never be satisfied with what she has, and she will continue to ask for more. Lucy's mom tries to explain that the more you want and the more you get, the harder it is to satisfy her. She references the Jataka tale of the Golden Mallard, to describe how she is feeling. Lucy continued to ask for things until her provider had nothing left. Now, Lucy's mom will not give her anything anymore, she has nothing left to give. This contemporary story of Lucy and her mom is aimed to re-imagine the tale of the Golden Mallard and the problem with desires in the Buddhism faith.
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