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“ My ox has died and now I have no animal to help me plow my field. Isn’t this the worst thing that could have possibly happened ? ” The wise old man replied, “ Maybe so, maybe not. ” Of course, the villager was disappointed and he thought perhaps the wise man had gone mad. After all, surely that was the worst thing that could have happened to him.
The next day, however, a strong, young horse was seen near the man’s farm. He caught the animal and soon was plowing his field with gusto. He went back to the wise, old man to apologize. “ You were right, old man. Losing my ox wasn’t the worst possible thing; it was a blessing in disguise. You must agree that finding the horse was the best possible thing that could have happened. ” The old man said, “ Maybe so, maybe not. ” The farmer thought to himself, I’m certain the wise old man has gone mad.
A few days later the farmer’s son was riding the horse when he was thrown off and broke his leg. He would no longer be able to help the farmer with his crop. “ Oh no, ” the farmer said. “ Now we will surely starve to death. ” Once again he asked the wise old man, “ How did you know that finding the horse wasn’t the very best thing that could have happened ? You were right again. ”
This time, however, the farmer said, “ You must certainly agree now that my son’s injury is the worst thing that could have happened. ” Once again the wise man said, “ Maybe so, maybe not. ”
The next day troops arrived to take every able-bodied man to the war that had just broken out. The farmer’s son was the only young man in the village who didn’t have to go. He would live with the others would surely die.
That story has a powerful lesson. The truth is we don’t know what’s going to happen — we just think we do. Often we make a big deal out things when we don’t know all the facts. We tend to think about all the possible bad things that can happen to us. Certainly these are such times. I believe that as bad is it is we need to keep our cool and stay open to possibilities. I know that we can be reasonably certain that eventually, all will be well. So, in the midst of events that are so stressful to us that we think they are the worst things possible, we should remember the phrase “ Maybe so, maybe not. ” Shalom !
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As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other.
-Pythagoras
24 Feb 2009, 1:15 am
