There Is A Chinese Story Of A Farmer....... - PDF Download

There is a Chinese story of a farmer who used an old horse to till his fields. One day, the horse escaped into the hills and when the farmer's neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?" A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, "Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?"

Then, when the farmer's son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?"

Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer's son with his broken leg, they let him off. Now was that good luck or bad luck?

Who knows? Everything that seems on the surface to be an evil may be a good in disguise. And everything that seems good on the surface may really be an evil. So we are wise when we leave it to God to decide what is good fortune and what misfortune, and thank him that all things turn out for good with those who love him.

Excellent observation. Even in this century, people believe in luck. They need to understand that everything that happens is simply by God's will, and He has a plan for all of us.

Regards,
Maggi

Hi all,

Attached, please find the Hindi version of this story. We usually use it in training and also provide examples where people say, "We had very bad luck."

Role of Luck in Training

The story of the Chinese farmer's acceptance of the will of God in his everyday life apparently suggests a stress-free life. So far, so good though one can learn through yoga and meditation to achieve it in an atheistic way. To me, it appears preposterous for man to leave the burden of joy or sorrow on God. What about the talent every human has been endowed with and freedom of will? Man alone is responsible for his fortune and misfortune. Of course, situation and environment often guide and affect human actions.

In the corporate scenario, knowledge and decision-making are two important tools. Business and social ethics, with a sense of responsibility and accountability, are the fundamental concerns. So lucky when a man has achieved his given target/goal in which he has used all the factors mentioned above effectively and successfully; unlucky when something has gone wrong or not used at all. In both cases, man is responsible for his predicament.

This good story, as such, becomes non-motivational, though as a story, it's interesting.

The discussion is with due regards to Prabhu, Maggi, Simla, Bharati, Parshurama, and others who believe in the greatness of God. I too believe in Him and trust Him, but I want to keep Him out of actions, non-actions, wrong actions, actions in ignorance or wickedness, and the result of these. [Login to view]

Undoubtedly, all things work together for good for all those who are called for God's purpose.

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