Everything in
life holds both a blessing and a curse. We deny this
when we label the events of our lives as either good or
bad. The following old Zen story illustrates this lesson
most effectively.
A farmer had a horse but one day, the horse ran away and
so the farmer and his son had to plow their fields
themselves. Their neighbors said, "Oh, what bad luck
that your horse ran away!" But the farmer replied, "Bad
luck, good luck, who knows?"
The next week, the horse returned to the farm, bringing
a herd of wild horses with him. "What wonderful luck!"
cried the neighbors, but the farmer responded, "Good
luck, bad luck, who knows?"
Then, the farmer's son was thrown as he tried to ride
one of the wild horses, and he broke his leg. "Ah, such
bad luck," sympathized the neighbors. Once again, the
farmer responded, "Bad luck, good luck, who knows?"
A short time later, the ruler of the country recruited
all young men to join his army for battle. The son, with
his broken leg, was left at home. "What good luck that
your son was not forced into battle!" celebrated the
neighbors. And the farmer remarked, "Good luck, bad
luck, who knows?"
"Do not judge, and you will never be mistaken."
Jean
Jacques Rousseau
