There was once an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years.
One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit.
“Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it two other wild horses.
“Such good luck!” the neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,” replied the old man.The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg.
Again, the neighbors came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
“Such bad luck,” they said.
“Maybe,” answered the farmer.The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by.
“Such good luck!” cried the neighbors.
“Maybe,” said the farmer.
And the story goes on, just like life …
Good? Bad? Who knows? Maybe.
We can’t change what happened, but we can change how we feel and not get on the emotional roller coaster. The Farmer’s Luck is originally a Taoist story, but you can also find it in many Zen Buddhist teachings.
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