The Arrows of Zen by Ernest Cadorin

Author:Ernest Cadorin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: philosophical, self-help, self help, meditation, awareness, spirit, discipline
Publisher: Lilycom Inc
Published: 2018-02-15T16:00:00+00:00

The Farmer

One afternoon, an old farmer was out in the fields tending to his livestock. When he returned to the farmhouse, he discovered that his horse had gotten loose and run away. His neighbour, having heard the news, went to visit him. “What bad luck,” said the neighbour, sympathetically.

“Perhaps,” replied the farmer.

The next day, his horse returned to the farmhouse, bringing with it three other wild horses. “That’s fantastic!” exclaimed the neighbour when he had heard the news.

“Perhaps,” said the farmer.

The following morning, the farmer’s son was thrown from one of the wild horses while attempting to tame it. He injured his leg so badly that he would not be able to help with the farm work for several weeks. “How unfortunate,” said the neighbour.

“Perhaps,” replied the old man.

The next day, some military officers came to the farmer’s village to draft the local young men into the army. When they saw the farmer’s son and his injured leg, they excluded him from the draft. “How wonderful,” said the neighbour, congratulating the old man.

“Perhaps,” replied the farmer.

♦♦♦

The farmer in this story is able to look upon the events in his life without being judgmental. He knows that each incident can have countless effects, many of which are unpredictable. When we look at life events from that perspective, we realize that things may not necessarily be as good or as bad as they seem. Good and bad are interrelated, and although today may seem terrible, things can change in an instant.

The ability to see things without discriminating is known as tsuki no kokoro, or “mind like the moon.” On clear nights, the moon casts a glow on everything uniformly. It doesn’t discriminate by shining on one pond and not on another. From this beautiful imagery, we get the notion of a mind that perceives everything with an unbiased attitude.

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