Zen Master & The Little Boy

Not for nothing, but the story of the zen master and the little boy needs to be told.

“There was a little boy and on his fourteenth birthday he gets a horse and everyone in the village says “Oh how wonderful the boy got a horse”. But the zen master says “we’ll see”. Two years later the boy falls off the horse and breaks his leg and everybody in the village says “How terrible” and the zen master says “we’ll see”. Then a war breaks out and all the young men have to go and fight except for the boy whose leg is broken. Everyone says “how wonderful”. And the zen master still says “we’ll see”.

What can be everlasting ? Least of all a consequence. What can be permanent ? Least of all joy or sorrow. When the chips are down, don’t give in. When there is victory don’t let that ruin your vigilance. There is always a probability of redemption following destruction as there is a prospect of the unforeseen behind familiarity. What can be good; what can be bad. Let’s not judge too soon.