PARABLE OF JUDGMENTS

This story takes place during the time of Lao Tzu in China, and Lao loved it.



In the village lived an old man, very poor, but even kings were jealous of him, because he had a beautiful white horse. Kings offered him unprecedented price for a horse, but the old man always said:

- This horse - not a horse to me. He is a person. How can I sell a person, a friend to sell?

The old man was poor, but did not sell the horse.


One day he discovered that the horse is not in the stable. I gathered the entire village, and people said:

- You old fool! We knew that someday the horse will not appear on the site. It would be better to sell it. That misfortune.

- Do not go too far in saying so. Just say that the horse is not in place - the old man answered them. - That is a fact, the rest of the judgment. Whatever it was, the misfortune or a blessing I do not know, because it is only a fragment. Who knows what will follow?

People laughed at the old man. They always knew he was a little crazy. But after 15 days, one night the horse returned. It was not stolen, he just ran at will. And that was not all. He brought with him a dozen horses. Again the people gathered and said:

- The old man is right. It is not an accident. It is now clear that it was a blessing.

- Again, you go away. Just say that the horse is back. Who knows, it is a blessing or not? - Calmly replied the old man. - It is only a fragment. You read a single word in the expression. How can you judge the whole book?

At this time, people did not talk much, but inside themselves decided that it is not right, twelve beautiful horses!

The old man was the only son who became these horses to go around. Just a week later he fell from a horse and broke both legs. People gathered again and again tried:

- You again proved his innocence! This misfortune. Your only son has lost his legs, and in your old age he was your only support. Now you are poorer than it was.

- You are obsessed with judgment. Do not go that far. Say only that my son broke his legs. No one knows the misfortune or a blessing. Life comes to pieces, and the more we can not.

It so happened that a few weeks the country went to war, and all the boys went into the army. There was only the son of the old man, because he was a cripple. The whole village was screaming and crying, because it was a decisive battle, and they knew that most young people do not come back. They came to the old man and said:

- You were right, old man, it is now clear that this was a blessing. Well, your son is crippled, but he is with you. Our sons are gone forever.

The old man said again:

- You continue to judge. Nobody knows! Just tell me that your sons are fit for the army, and my son - no. Only God, the Absolute knows it is a misfortune or a blessing.

As long as you try, you do not grow, do not develop. The judgment is frozen state of mind. And the mind always requires judgment, because in the process of development is always risky and uncomfortable. In fact, the journey never ends. One of the ends, but another begins, one door closes, another - is opened. You reach the top, but there is another, higher. Life is a never-ending journey!