There is an old Taoist parable which so beautifully illustrates why it is important not to judge things as good or bad – they are just events and they have a hidden message for us.
There was a poor farmer in ancient China who worked a small plot of land with his teenage son. During this time horses were considered a sign of wealth; the richest person in the province owned only a few of them. One day a wild horse jumped the poor farmer’s fence and began grazing on his land. According to local law, this meant that the horse now rightfully belonged to him and his family. The villagers were really jealous and said to the old man how lucky he was.
“Who knows what’s good or bad?”
The farmer’s son could hardly contain his joy, but the father put his hand on his son’s shoulder and said, “Who knows what’s good or bad? If it’s good luck or misfortune, I don’t know. It’s only a fragment. Who knows what will happen tomorrow?” The next day the horse made its escape back to the mountains and the boy was heartbroken. The villagers laughed:” You are not so lucky after all. It was too good to be true”. “Who knows what’s good or bad?” The farmer said again. “It’s only a fragment from a book. How can we judge if we don’t know the whole story?”
On the third day the horse returned with a dozen wild horses following. “We’re now really rich!” the son cried, and the villagers exclaimed: “You were right, this was indeed very good luck!” to which the farmer again replied, “Yet again, you are getting carried away. Let’s just say that the horse has returned. Who knows what’s good or bad?”
On the fourth day the boy climbed on one of the wild horses and was thrown, breaking both of his legs. The villagers judged again, “Your only son can no longer support you. That horse was bad luck. You are poorer than ever.” The old farmer looked deeply into his son’s eyes, and said, “My son, who knows what is good or bad?”
And on the fifth day the province went to war. Army recruiters came through the town and took all the eligible young men to fight the war. All except for the young man with the broken leg.
Bless your events
Many of us want to see things as good or bad, yet we miss the vital message each event brings. Why can’t we simply trust that our lives are changing every day and bless the events that are continually unfolding?