Once there was a farmer who had a horse (safely assume that this story has happened in China / Japan). One night as he was winding up his day, he took his horse to the barn and did not secure the lock of the barn.
Next day he finds his horse is missing or escaped his barn. Obviously he too had neighbors as we do and one of the neighbors walked in to offer his condolences. "What a misfortune, that you have lost your horse!"
The farmer did not answer and was silent. But smiled to himself.
Few days later his horse returned back and to everyone's surprise another horse followed his horse and now the farmer had 2 horses. Here comes his neighbor saying "What a fortune, you have 2 horses now!"
The farmer did not answer and was silent. But smiled to himself.
The horses were growing old and the farmer was hoping to get a Colt (horse calf) from these 2 horses (Oh! i thought it was unnecessary to mention that one was a Stallion (male horse) and other was a mare (female horse). Remember there is no need for article 377 and then for it to be repealed in the animal kingdom :)).
Coming back to the story, there was no sign of the colt arrival hence our neighbor arrived saying "What a misfortune that you are not getting a colt from these 2 horses!"
The farmer again did not answer and was silent. But smiled to himself.
After few months the mare delivered a beautiful Colt and everyone was happy. The neighbor walked in happily giggling "What a fortune now you have 3 horses! May this tribe swell and grow!"
The farmer again did not answer and was silent. But smiled to himself.
As the Colt grew up, the farmer's son wanted to train and was very attached to this colt. One day the farmer's son fell down and broke his leg while training the Colt. Here came our neighbor saying "What a misfortune this new horse has beget us!"
The farmer again did not answer and was silent. But smiled to himself.
As the farmer's son was healing his wounds the country went for a war. They drafted all able and young people for the war. Because the farmer's son was injured they did not draft him. Here came our neighbor saying "What a fortune this Colt has brought for you. It saved your son!"
The farmer again did not answer and was silent. But smiled to himself.
Lets stop the story here. This is one of the popular Tao / Zen stories and am sure some of you would have read or heard this. As i read this:
1. I thought the farmer is not just a farmer but should be termed as a monk / wise man / least a normal human being who has lost his speaking ability. :)
2. Good and Bad are in the perspectives and are relatives - Nothing is absolute here.
3. "Good" follows "bad" and vice versa - Yin cannot exist without Yang and Yang without Yin. Remember "Joy is pain camouflaged, Success is failure camouflaged".
4. A lot many of us have read / heard this story but have not realized that there is huge difference between reading and understanding a concept and a larger gap between understanding a moral and living it.
5. If any one of you is thinking if this story has actually happened or if this farmer exists / ever existed in this world, I am sorry to say that you are too analytical and judgmental in life and probably you are losing out a lot in life which you have not realized.
6. I often keep telling this "You are not as good as people say when you succeed and not as bad as people say when you lose"...
For me the moral is simple. As one wise man said "Good living is in balancing the extremes..." Its the balance which we need to strive for and as we are striving for it, enjoy the ups and downs of life!.
Happy Reading!
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