Dan Millman's "The Way of the Peaceful Warrior"

[Bernard]

Dan Millman's [ame]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=projectmana0a-20&path=tg/detail/-/0915811898/ref=ase_projectmana0a-20?v=glance&s=books[/ame] appears to be the original source for a story which my older brother told me several years ago and I found very insightful. I'll paraphrase:

An old man and his son worked a small farm, with only one horse to pull the plough. One day the horse ran away.

"How terrible," sympathised the neighbours. "What bad luck".

"Oh well", the farmer replied.

A week later, the horse returned from the mountains, leading five wild mares into the barn.

"What wonderful luck!" said the neighbours.

"Oh well", answered the old man.

The next day, the son, trying to tame one of the horses, fell and broke his leg.

"How terrible, what bad luck!" said the neighbours.

"Oh well", answered the old man.

The local warlord sent the army to all the farms to conscript all able bodied young men for war. The farmer's son was of no use to them, so he was spared.

"What wonderful luck!" said the neighbours.

"Oh well", answered the old man.

...

You just never know how what you perceive as a tragedy may eventually become a blessing .