rumitoid

(You may have heard this story before. I really believe I made it popular in America when I was a speaker at a large AA convention in '86, but maybe not. At my age, like the story of walking uphill to and from school in six feet of snow, a senior may be excused for looking for some gem from his past to boast. The older I get, the better I was at everything.)

In Japan, there was a farmer who had a few acres of arable land and grew a enough crops to sustain his family, though just barely. He relied on his son and a stallion to keep his venture working. Without them the farm would suffer.

One day, his stallion ran off. The people of the nearby village came to offer their condolences. "What a terrible thing" they moaned in chorus.The farmer said, "Good news bad news who knows."

A few days later, the stallion returned with a brood of mares. The people of the nearby village came to offer their congratulations. "How wonderful" they rejoiced in chorus. The farmer said, "Good news bad news who knows."

The next day, the Farmer's son tried to break one of the mares and broke his leg. The people of the nearby village came to offer their condolences. "What a terrible thing" they moaned in chorus.The farmer said, "Good news bad news who knows."

A week later, the Army came to the village to recruit all the eligible men and the Farmer's son was not taken. His wife said, "What a wonderful thing." The farmer said, "Good news bad news who knows."

A relevant story you may relate to. The wood mill in Taos was hiring. Eight dollars an hour in '85. My friend told me about it and said to meet him at the coffee shop at 6AM. He had a relative that would hire us. I was at what I believed was the coffee shop he meant by 5:45 AM. He never showed. Wrong place. I will make this short. I got hired as a breakfast cook that morning by the owner, a job I had for four years. The mill closed two weeks later. Hard to judge sometimes what is good and bad.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

I am very familiar with the story... Although I have not heard that it was Buddhist in origin...

An excellent moral...

rumitoid

Wish I took it to heart more often. I don't know how many times in life the bad news of some failure, missed opportunity, humiliation, and defeat happened to lead to the good news of greater awareness, broader tolerance, deeper humility, and more gracious insight. If we are to take it that all things work for good to those who love God, there really is no failure, missed opportunities, humiliation, or defeat but just an invitation to change and grow in Christ, if we have the eyes to see. Such a vision is not ours alone to produce.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Hi Rumi... Hope you are feeling well today...

I agree... All things serve God... Sometimes we need to reflect and ask how our situation might lead to greater joy...

Little miracle....
I had a few issues this past weekend and was feeling rather upset... Monday morning I woke up feeling cranky and argumentive...
I realized that going into class in the afternoon feeling this way wasn't going to make for a very conducive atmosphere... So I took a few deep breaths and prayed... Just asked the Lord to remind me of the joy in His world...

Amazingly, about an hour before class I received a phone call from an former student who had immigraTed to Canada sone years before... She was back in China visiting family and wanted to get together... Told me how much she missed me and what a great influence I had had on her...
We are getting together for lunch tomorrow...

God is truly amazing and always finds a way to show us His love....

And my classes yesterday were some of the best I have taught

rumitoid

Beautiful and inspiring, Kyle. Love those stories. Thank you.

rumitoid

If I recall correctly, it was over thirty years ago, it is in the book Zen Flesh, Zen Bones.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

I know it from a collection of Chinese fables...

Very likely it is Buddhist...

rumitoid

I am not sure. Buddhism was in China.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Still is.... Temples in every city...
Lots of Buddhists here...
Lovely people for the most part...

rumitoid

Seeing as it just here, a little story.

I was very hot against Christianity, and that came mostly from Tvangelists and my Catholic background. Then there was the minor point I never really studied the Bible up until this point in 1984. After reading heavily into Buddhism, Zen, A Course in Miracles, most of the mystics East and West, Hinduism, I started reading the Bible about two hours a day. What was really curious to me is that I somehow came upon and saw, without outside instruction, where some of Roman Catholic theology was wrong. Not a shocker but it was a delight.

I only focused on the New Testament; at that time, I found the Old Testament the self-aggrandizing of a primitive Bronze Age people overheated by the desert. The more I read of what Christ said, the more I saw it as the perfect Buddhism. He was Zen. He was The Path, and not the practices of Eastern monks that I read about. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Another good thread..Hint hint

rumitoid

No, too self-centered.

Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...

Hi rumi,

My comment will, as always, go off the rails...

The stoicism of the farmer is, I believe, inherit in those who follow his profession, for crop wise, some years are successful, some years are not.

The weather, which is completely outside his control, may bring excessive heat, be deficit in the usual and customary rainfall expected for his region, and deliver windstorms which devastate his produce in the fields.

Buddhism itself, however, has a distinct feature differentiating it from all other major world religions: It has no Deity from whom one may place hope for deliverance, protection or a victorious result.

Buddhism, as Buddha taught, has no revelation from a Spiritual power, but is the result of one man's experience and understanding, accomplished strictly through his own effort.

Buddhism teaches reincarnation, i.e., the transmigration of souls, holding that while there is no individual soul, the elements of personality that make up an individual can recombine and thus continue from one lifetime to another. Buddhism offers the examples of a flame passing from one candle to another and the pattern caused by a breeze that passes over many blades of grass.

In contrast, again, "And as there is laid up for men once to die, and after this judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

Man's life and works on earth end with death: Man does not return to die a second time.

Whereas Jesus said, " ...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10).

Buddha, however, advises not having emotional wants or needs in life, thereby preventing the disappointment of these desires being left unsatisfied, but also denying any exuberance if they come to fruition.

The farmer seems to reflect this philosophy in that he expresses no joy at good news and no sorrow at bad, residing within a bubble of passivity which denies the entrance of strong human emotion.

In contrast, again, Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid. My peace I leave with you" (John 14:27).

The ability to react to life's inevitable turns and twists without panic or hysteria is of obvious great worth; the source of that ability will matter for eternity.

rumitoid

Thank you for those fine comments. I presented the story of the farmer not as my view but posed as a question of such an attitude. I find his immutable response to Fate somewhat admirable. And there is something else I see that is not made clear in the story: was his approach from joy in the natural order of life or resignation over it? Unknown.

Buddhism fell apart for me not long after I started reading the Bible. What slowly crept in was "enlightenment" cannot be achieved through an unaided will. We need outside help and Christ once again became that for me.