Story To

Reflect
Upon 65

It's In Your Hands

Once there was a wise old man who could answer
any question anyone asked him. Two young men
decided to trick him. "We're going to fool that old
man. We'll catch a bird and go to the old man and
say, "This that we hold in our hands today, is it alive
or is it dead?"
"If he says 'Dead', we'll turn it loose and let it fly,
and if he says 'Alive', we'll crush it."
So they caught a bird and carried it to the old man.
"This that we hold in our hands today, is it alive or is
it dead?" they asked
The old man looked at the men, smiled and replied:
"It's in your hands.”

Reflection
* Wisdom needs a calm, clear mind ... a mind that is
alert, mindful of all phenomena and data around.
* Wise thinking requires the ability to think 'out of
the box', to be free from habitual and conditioned
thinking based on untested assumptions.
* Training the mind in "Right Mindfulness" can
develop clear comprehension and wisdom.
 Story To
Reflect Upon 66

The Farmer's Horse

There is a story of a farmer whose horse ran away. That evening
the neighbors gathered to console him since this was such bad
luck. He said, "May be."
The next day the horse returned, but brought with it six wild horses,
and the neighbors came exclaiming at his good fortune. He said,
"May be."
And then, the following day, his son tried to saddle and ride one of
the wild horses; he was thrown, and broke his leg. Again the
neighbors came to offer their sympathy for the misfortune. He said,
"May be."
The day after that, conscription officers came to the village to seize
young men for the army, but because of the broken leg the
farmer's son was rejected. When the neighbors came to say how
fortunately everything had turned out, he said, "May be."

Reflection
* None is free from the eight worldly conditions of 'Pleasure
and Pain', 'Gain and Loss', 'Praise and Blame' and 'Honor and
Dishonor'. Reflecting on this Truth of Samsaric existence, one
learns to
1. be more calm and accepting of the things that befalls him.
2. develop a mental state of equanimity or tranquility. The
mental state will become more peaceful in the face of
changing fortunes.
3. see that the only certainty is uncertainty. 'Tragic' things
may become a blessing and vice versa.
4. see that the wisest thing to practice is 'present mindfulness'
... the past is dead and gone and the future is unknown ...
* Our attitude towards happenings determines to a great
extent our mental happiness and peace.
* Often one's mental state can be more happy, peaceful and
free if one's mind does not attach and cling ... 'Letting it go' or
'letting it be' are mental attitudes that often help one to be
peaceful.