Farmer story: What will the future bring?

Jay Mavani (Medium) rewritten by Dhr. Seven and CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

We're happy vegan farmers, who plant without destroying animals or our environment.

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I had never heard the story of this wise old Chinese farmer, but when I did — it changed everything for me.

Where there's a wit, there's a way. Outsmart 'em.

A farmer and his son had a beloved horse that helped the family earn its living. One day, that horse ran away, and the neighbors exclaimed: “Your horse ran away! What terrible luck you have!” The old farmer calmly replied: “Maybe so. Who can say?”

A few days later, the horse returned followed by a few wild horses. The neighbors shouted: “Your horse has returned, and it brought several other horses with it. What great luck you have!” The farmer replied: “Maybe so, who can say?”

Later, the farmer’s son was trying to tame one of the wild horses, and it threw him off, breaking his leg. The neighbors cried: “Your son has broken his leg! What terrible luck you have!” The old farmer calmly replied: “Maybe so, who can say?”

Later, soldiers from the national army descended on the town, forcibly drafting all able-bodied boys for to quell a rebellion on the frontier. They left the farmer’s son, as he had a broken leg. The neighbors cried and shouted: “Our sons have been taken from us! But your boy was spared. What great luck you have!” The old farmer calmly replied: “Maybe so, who can know?”

It really is impossible to tell whether ANYTHING that happens to us is good or bad. [The future determines that, not the past. And what we do in the present, the now, makes all the difference. THE FUTURE CHANGES THE MEANING OF THE PAST.]

We never know what the consequences of our fortune/misfortune will be, as only time will tell the whole story (give it meaning in context). [If we respond wisely, or in any case follow the advice of the British comedian-philosopher Douglas Adams not to panic, to stay as serene and mindful as the old farmer, we will always be much better off.]

Things may look great at the start, but over time [as the future "communicates" with the past], it may not become what we had imagined it to be. Similarly, we may feel bad about something, but some day it could be one of the best things that ever happened to us.

Everything changes. The universe is ever changing. There is no room for judgement, for nothing is truly black and white.

“Trust that the universe is

unfolding as it should.”

– Max Ehrmann

This farmer story helped me gain a deeper sense of the Buddhist concept of mindfulness (sati).

To be able to let go of the sorrows of my past and not worry about the uncertainties of the future — to be able to truly live in the present, in the eternal NOW, and see life as not good or bad but just as is, mindfulness done correct is great. [Done poorly, carelessly, or with a bad teacher, it can lead to problems.]

So will the story of the Chinese farmer do anything for readers? I wonder. Maybe so, who can say? We’ll see in the future.

ABOUT: Jay (aka jaymavs) is a Mumbai (Bombay) based visual artist and storyteller. He’s known to express his passion for problem-solving, creativity, philosophy, and humor by playing on various canvases. Enjoy Jay Mavani’s words? Be sure to check out more of his writing. To find out more about Jay, say hi on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram. He recorded this fable/proverb/legend Sept. 2018.