蜀之鄙有二僧，其一贫，其一富。贫者语于富者曰：“吾欲之南海，何如？” 富者曰：“子何恃而往？” 曰：“吾一瓶一钵足矣。” 富者曰：“吾数年来欲买舟而下，犹未能也。子何持而往！” 越明年，贫者自南海还，以告富者。 富者有惭色。西蜀之去南海，不知几千里也，僧富者不能至而贫者至蔫。人之立志，顾不如蜀鄙之僧哉？―《为学一首示子侄》（彭端淑）

In the countryside of Shu, there were two monks, one poor and the other wealthy. The poor monk said to the wealthy one, “I wish to go to the South Sea; what do you think?” The wealthy one replied, “What do you rely on to go?” The poor one said, “I have a bottle and a bowl, and that is enough.” The wealthy one said, “For several years, I have wanted to buy a boat to go down there, yet I have not been able to do so. What do you have to take with you?”

The following year, the poor monk returned from the South Sea and informed the wealthy one. The wealthy one showed signs of shame. The distance from Western Shu to the South Sea is unknown, but it is certainly thousands of miles, and the wealthy monk could not reach it, while the poor one did.

Isn’t it true that a person’s ambition is not as admirable as that of the monk from Shu?