Editor’s Note: Finding that balance…that immeasurable peace which stems from taking neither the left, nor the right path, but yielding to the “middle way” is the soul’s way to stillness. Stillness comes from reaching that wonderful state of meditative state where the mind is quieted.
Find your own path to metal stillness, and then find yourself BEin in…
Quantum Joy!
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There is an old Chinese tale of a farmer whose horse ran away.
That evening the neighbors gathered to commiserate with him since this was such bad luck. He said, “May be.”
The next day the horse returned, but brought with it six wild horses, and the neighbors came exclaiming at his good fortune. He said, “May be.”
And then, the following day, his son tried to saddle and ride one of the wild horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. Again the neighbors came to offer their sympathy for the misfortune. He said, “May be.”
The day after that, conscription officers came to the village to seize young men for the army, but because of the broken leg the farmer’s son was rejected. When the neighbors came in to say how fortunately everything had turned out, he said, “May be.”
This old parable points out that we can never be certain whether something is truly good or bad. How can we be certain that an event is bad, when it could be the cause and condition for something great to arise?
How can we say that something is essentially good, when it could be the cause and condition for something terrible to arise? Life is constantly changing, and the events that we perceive as good and bad are just the different ways we relate to the ever changing nature of the world.
After every night there is day, and after every day there is night. So too, we can be sure that while there are times of happiness and pleasure, there are sure to be times of sadness and pain as well.
And while there might be sadness and pain, happiness and pleasure are sure to follow it. The master is aware of the duality in the world and understands its function of maintaining balance.
Thus, the master does not cling to one extreme or the other, but instead learns to flow with the change of events and ride the ups and downs of life like driftwood riding on the waves of the ocean.
Nothing is permanent, but nature moves in cycles. Knowing that what comes, goes, and that what goes, returns, the master stays centered in himself and allows nature to take its course. 