One of my favorite stories comes from the Chinese and tells of the farmer whose only horse escaped
the corral. When his neighbors lamented his loss, the farmer said philosophically, “Good event, bad
event, who knows?”
But when the horse returned to the farm leading a whole herd of wild horses with him, the neighbors
congratulated the old man on his luck. Then, the farmer said, “Good event, bad event, who knows?”
Later, when the farmer’s only son was thrown from the back of the horse and broke his leg at harvest
time, the neighbors bewailed his troubles. But the farmer said, “Good event, bad event, who knows?”
And when the warlord conscripted every young man in the valley for his army except the boy with the
broken leg, the other farmers whose sons had been taken, cursed their bad luck and celebrated his
fortune. But the farmer said, “Good event, bad event, who knows?”
Clearly, the question that lingers down our own twisting, turning histories about the vagaries in our
lives is a simple one: “Good event, bad event–who knows?” It’s an important question because, the fact
is, life is a series of choices.
Some people stay on roads long-gone purposeless to them because they fear the unknowns of another
one.
Some of us, on the other hand, like rolling stones, are too quick to leave a road, crossroad or not,
whose only lack is that it isn’t bright at the moment or simply for the sake of trying out another one.
But most of us know when we’re at a crossroads, when nothing but choice is possible. Then we
struggle and dicker with which of the many directions we could take, that we ought to take.
Indeed, the big decisions in life are hardly ever clear.
But one thing is: Life is a series of dilemmas, of options, of conundrums, or possibilities taken and not
taken. Good event, bad event, who knows? What makes the difference among them?
Only this: It is the values that we bring to the decision-making process and the attitude we take into
the living out of them that turn the crossroads into new life.
the corral. When his neighbors lamented his loss, the farmer said philosophically, “Good event, bad
event, who knows?”
But when the horse returned to the farm leading a whole herd of wild horses with him, the neighbors
congratulated the old man on his luck. Then, the farmer said, “Good event, bad event, who knows?”
Later, when the farmer’s only son was thrown from the back of the horse and broke his leg at harvest
time, the neighbors bewailed his troubles. But the farmer said, “Good event, bad event, who knows?”
And when the warlord conscripted every young man in the valley for his army except the boy with the
broken leg, the other farmers whose sons had been taken, cursed their bad luck and celebrated his
fortune. But the farmer said, “Good event, bad event, who knows?”
Clearly, the question that lingers down our own twisting, turning histories about the vagaries in our
lives is a simple one: “Good event, bad event–who knows?” It’s an important question because, the fact
is, life is a series of choices.
Some people stay on roads long-gone purposeless to them because they fear the unknowns of another
one.
Some of us, on the other hand, like rolling stones, are too quick to leave a road, crossroad or not,
whose only lack is that it isn’t bright at the moment or simply for the sake of trying out another one.
But most of us know when we’re at a crossroads, when nothing but choice is possible. Then we
struggle and dicker with which of the many directions we could take, that we ought to take.
Indeed, the big decisions in life are hardly ever clear.
But one thing is: Life is a series of dilemmas, of options, of conundrums, or possibilities taken and not
taken. Good event, bad event, who knows? What makes the difference among them?
Only this: It is the values that we bring to the decision-making process and the attitude we take into
the living out of them that turn the crossroads into new life.
MAKING CHOICES — A SPIRITUAL SKILL
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