Chitrabhanu's talks

[Guest guest]

These stories are excerpts from Jain Master Gurudev Chitrabhanu's talks

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CURIOUS NEIGHBORS

 

There was a man who owned a strong Arabian horse. Though not a rich man, the

farmer was proud of owning such a fine stallion. One day the horse ran away

and disappeared. A few neighbors visited the farmer that day and lamented,

"What bad luck you have!" Surprised the farmer asked, "How do you know it is

bad luck?"

 

In the meantime, his horse was in the forest and joined a herd of wild

horses. After a while, the horse returned to the farm with ten new friends.

The farmer and his son were very happy to now have eleven fine horses. The

same neighbors returned and cried out, "What good luck you have!" Again, the

farmer replied, "How do you know it is good luck?"

 

Months passed and the wild horses were cared for by the farmer's son who

spent a great deal of time with them. But one day the son fell from a

bucking wild horse and broke his leg. Hearing the news, the neighbors

reappeared and commented to the farmer, "What bad luck you have." The farmer

replied impatiently, "How do you know that I have bad luck?" By now his

neighbors thought the farmer was truly odd.

 

As war emerged in the country, all young men in the village were drafted

into the army, except the only son of the farmer. The farmer's neighbors

stopped by, "Now admit that you have good luck." The farmer replied again,

"How do you know it is good luck? Luck is the ONLY thing that is ever

changing. Live just in the present without fear of the future and the burden

of the past!"

 

TO LIVE, THINK POSITIVELY ACCOMPANIED BY ACTION=JAINISM