On another day, Katyayana saw a woman holding a bottle, weeping by a river. "Why are you crying? May I offer you some help?"

"You can't help me," she replied sadly. "What's the use of telling you? The world isn't fair. There is such a huge gap between the rich and poor. I've been poor all my life, and I'm tired of being poor."

"Don't be so sad," he said sympathetically. "There are many poor people in this world, not just you. Being poor is not unfortunate and being rich is not fortunate. Look, those rich men have servants, houses and farms, but their greed brings them so many worries. So be content with your life if you can live peacefully."

The woman continued to weep."You are a monk and you can look beyond the social norms, but I can't. I'm a rich man's servant. I work hard every day. I never have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. And I do not have any freedom. My master is cheap, violent and heartless. If we make any mistake, we are punished harshly. We suffer because of our poverty, so how can you tell me not to cry?"

"Then I can tell you how to end your poverty: sell it."

"Sell it? How can anyone sell poverty? If it were that easy, then there wouldn't be any poor people! Who would want to buy it?"

"I'll buy it!"

"But I don't know how to sell it."

"By offering! People are rich or poor because of their previous lives. You are poor because you did not give alms to others nor did you engage in spiritual cultivation in your previous life. Giving alms and doing spiritual cultivation are the best way to sell poverty and to buy blessings."

The woman now realized the way to end her poverty, but she still had another question."You're right, and now I know to be rich. But I don't have anything to give you, and this bottle belongs to my master. What should I do?"

Katyayana respectfully handed her his bowl and said,"Pour some water in this bowl for me."

The woman wiped away the tears from her face and eagerly accepted the bowl from Katyayna. She scooped up some water from the river and very sincerely handed it over to Katyayana, who happily received it. After doing so, the woman felt much better and stopped crying.

There was a king named Manja. When his wife died, he was extremely sad and did not eat or drink anything for days. He just talked to his wife's body. "My dear one, why don't you look at me? Why don't you talk to me?" He soaked her body in sesame oil, so that it would not decay. Then he announced to the whole country that if anyone could revive his wife, he would take that person as his mentor. His ministers could do nothing but invite Katyayana over to talk to the deluded king. Katyayana broke off a tree branch and said to the king,"Your Majesty, can a branch have leaves forever?" After pausing for a while, he continued, "In the same way, since your wife has passed away, can she come back to life again?"

The king then gradually awoke from his delusion and started to face the impermanence of the world. "Your Majesty," Katyayana said, "Why don't you extend your love for your wife to all the citizens of this country? You should replace oppression with integrity and compassion. Then the people can live happily."

The king did as Katyayana said. His people began to show their love and admiration for him, and he was relieved of the grief of losing his wife.