Zen Stories # 22 - May Be

There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. 

"Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.

"May be," the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses.

"How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed.

"May be," replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg.

The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

"May be," answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by.

The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

"May be," said the farmer.

Reflection: Non–attachment is a way to rid your life of unnecessary unhappiness. It’s a way to become happier. Human beings get attached to ideas – ideas about who they are, what’s the best way to live, ideas about what other people should be like, and so on. and our attachment to those ideas causes most of our day to day suffering. It is our ideas about reality that causes the suffering. Not the reality itself.

Cheers!