There once was a very poor man living in a village who had a very fine horse. So fine, in fact, that the lord of the castle wanted to buy it. But the old man always refused.
“To me this horse is not merely an animal. He’s a friend. How could I sell you my friend?”
One morning he went to the stable and found his horse gone.
All the villagers said, “We told you! You should have sold your horse. Now he’s been stolen instead. What a bad luck.”
“Bad luck or good luck,” the old man said. “Who can say?”
Everyone laughed at him. But 15 days later the horse returned, followed by a whole herd of wild horses. He had escaped from the stable, courted a young mare, and returned with the rest of the herd following behind!
“What a good luck!” the villagers cried.
The old man and his son began training the wild horses. But a week later the man’s son broke his leg trying to train one of the horses.
“Bad luck,” said his friends. “What are you going to do now without your son to help you? You who are already so poor.”
“Bad luck, good luck, who can say?” the old man replied.
A few days later an army belonging to the lord of the land passed through the village and forced all the young men to become soldiers. All… except the old man’s son, because of his broken leg.
“How lucky you are,” the villagers cried. “All our children are gone to war, but you’ve been able to keep your son. Our sons will probably be killed…”
The old man replied, “Bad luck, good luck… who can say?”
The Life comes to us in bits and pieces. We never know what lies in store for us. But if you have faith in God, you will always know that good and bad luck keeps following each other, what matters is your stability and contentment of mind in both so called good and bad luck. Only such a person is blissful always.
Practicing the Presence of God
Whenever you see a beautiful sunset, think to yourself: “It is God’s painting on the sky.” As you look into the face of each person you meet, think within: “It is God who has become that form.” Apply this trend of thought to all experiences: “The blood in my body is God; the reason in my mind is God; the love in my heart is God; everything that exists is God.”
—Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, Yogoda Satsanga Lessons
