This is a very old story about a farmer who was very zen.
There once was a zen farmer who lived in the countryside near a small village.
One day his horse ran away and when his neighbours found out they came calling ‘Zen farmer, zen farmer isn’t it terrible your horse ran away?’
And the zen farmer replied ‘Maybe yes and maybe no,’ to which his neighbours only shook their heads as they walked away.
The very next the farmer’s horse returned and he had a beautiful filly with him and all his neighbours came running once again.’
Zen farmer, zen farmer, isn’t it wonderful your horse came back and brought with it such a beautiful filly?’
And again the zen farmer replied, ‘Maybe yes, maybe no.’
And again his neighbours went away perplexed at the zen farmer’s attitude for what was clearly such great luck.
The next day, when the zen farmer’s son tried to ride the filly, he fell off breaking both his legs.
And sure enough, his neighbours all came running and crying, ’ Oh zen farmer, such terrible news, your son has broken his legs while trying to ridethe beautiful filly!’
Once more the zen farmer simply replied, ‘Maybe yes, maybe no.’
Thoroughly frustrated by the zen farmer, his neighbours left in disgust, for surely this was the worst of all disasters.
The next day, the Emperor came through the village where the zen farmer lived, looking for young men to conscript into service but,because he had two broken legs, the zen farmer’s son was not taken when all the other villagers sons were made to go.
When the Emperor had left the village with his army, the villagers all came to the zen farmer and said, ‘Oh zen farmer, you are so lucky your son broke his legs so he does not have to go off to war.’
And once more the zen farmer replied, ‘Maybe yes, maybe no.’
Perception is an ever evolving beast and is manipulated by even the smallest passage of time.
We can never be certain what lies ahead and whether we are blessed or we are cursed.
Puck
