What is good or bad?
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there” ~ Rumi
There once was an old zen farmer, he had a son and a horse. Every day, the farmer used his horse to help work his fields and keep his farm healthy.
One day, the ranch gate was open and the horse ran away. Now the farmer needs to farm the fields with his bare hands all on his own. All the villagers came by and said to the farmer, “We're so sorry to hear this. This is such bad fortune.”
The wise farmer responded, “Who knows what is good or bad?”
The villagers were confused, but decided to ignore him. A few weeks went by and then one afternoon, while the farmer was working outside, he looked up and saw his horse running toward him. But the horse was not alone. The horse was returning to him with a whole herd of horses. So now the farmer had 10 horses to help work his fields. All the villagers came by to congratulate the farmer and said, “Wow! This is such good fortune!”
The wise farmer responded, “Who knows what is good or bad?”
The farmer's son is now excited about the new horses and decided to ride one of them. While trying to tame the horse, the farmer’s son fell and broke his leg. The villagers came by to commiserate and said, “How awful. This is such bad fortune.”
Just as he did the first time, the farmer responded, “Who knows what is good or bad?”
While the farmer’s son was still recovering, the king’s men came marching through the village enlisting every able-bodied young man to join the army and fight in the war. When the men came to the farmer’s house and saw the young boy's broken leg, they decided that he was unsuitable for battle and marched on by leaving him behind. Of course, all the villagers came by and said, “you're so fortunate! They took all our boys and you get to keep yours! This is such good fortune.”
And as usual, the wise zen farmer responds…“Who knows what is good or bad?”
You see life happens in between what is good and what is bad. Most people’s happiness depend on a specific outcome that they want to see happen. You read through your emails, you get good news, you're happy. You get bad news, you feel sad. Your emotions keep fluctuating from high to low, depleting your energy flow.
I have diligently crafted my upcoming yoga retreat program, Bali Bliss, to guide you through a somatic yogic technique that will show you how to stay centered and harness your energy flow - your Chi, your Shakti, your Life Force - for inner peace and wellbeing. So you become the still point within the turning of events, and you stop battling with life. “When life’s way becomes your way, all the noise stops, and there’s a great peace.” ~ Michael A. Singer, The Surrender Experiment.
Meet me in Ubud, Bali, November 4, 2023 be sure to secure your spot now!