Description Chapter 1: Wisdom of Greece, Rome, and Europe Chapter 2: Wisdom of the Americas and Native Americans Chapter 3: Wisdom of Arabia and Islam Chapter 4: Wisdom of Asia and Its Sages Chapter 5: Wisdom of Africa Chapter 6: Wisdom Found in the Talmud Chapter 7: Wisdom Found in Buddhist Scriptures Chapter 8: Wisdom Found in the Bible The Clever Solution for Dividing the Camels Long ago in Arabia, a wealthy old man passed away. He left behind a large house and 17 camels, and in his will, he instructed his three sons as follows: "The eldest son shall receive 1/2 of the camels, the second son 1/3, and the youngest son 1/9. However, the camels must not be cut or killed. If you cannot manage this, you are not fit to continue living in my house." After their father's funeral, the three sons struggled for days. No matter how they calculated it, they couldn't divide the camels evenly. Unable to solve the problem themselves, the brothers sought out a famous mathematician for help. But contrary to their expectations, the mathematician couldn't find a solution either. "This is a flawed problem," he said. "Perhaps your father didn't want to leave you an inheritance after all." "That can't be true," the sons replied. "Our father loved us dearly while he was alive." Leaving the mathematician's house, the three sons made one last attempt and visited an old man known for his wisdom. After listening to their whole story, the old man smiled and said, "I will lend you one of my camels. That should make the calculation easier." Puzzled, the three sons added the borrowed camel to make 18, and suddenly understood what he meant. The eldest son took 1/2, which was 9 camels; the second son took 1/3, which was 6 camels; and the youngest son took 1/9, which was 2 camels. Curiously, one camel remained. Then the old man said, "Now, I believe I can take back the camel I lent you." * Wisdom is often revealed not through rigid, mechanical formulas, but through the clever application of knowledge. The wealthy Arabian father left this will to teach his sons the power of such wisdom. The True Treasure Hidden in the Vineyard Once upon a time, there was a diligent and wise farmer. Though he grew up poor, he worked tirelessly and eventually came to own a large vineyard. But as he grew old and sensed his time was near, he began to worry about what would become of his vineyard. He had three sons, but none of them were willing to work hard. The three sons were so lazy that they would say things like, "We can just hire someone to do it. Why should we work ourselves?" "Hired workers won't work as hard as an owner would, because it isn't theirs," the farmer would reply. Knowing well that wealth quickly disappears without effort, the farmer thought deeply and left this will when he passed away: "When I die, dig thoroughly through that vineyard. I have hidden a treasure there..." After their father's funeral, the three sons hurried to dig between the grapevines. But even after digging through the entire vineyard for months, they found no treasure anywhere. "There's nothing here." "Did we waste all this effort pulling out weeds and rocks for nothing?" "Father never lied to us before—why would he this time?" Meanwhile, summer arrived, and the grapevines bore unusually large and delicious-looking grapes in abundance. It was then that the three sons finally understood what their father's treasure truly was. They sold the high-quality grapes at a good price and earned a substantial profit. * Now, as in the past, people wish to become wealthy. So they work hard, and they also look for opportunities to strike it rich. Those who gamble or invest in lottery tickets are more likely to lose, while those who work hard with sweat and effort can at least earn enough to sustain their lives. Therefore, true treasure lies in working diligently while being content with one's own reality.