The world is not always the way we perceive and understand it to be.

Today's blog continues from the last entry, which questioned our
relationship to the reality of the world ­ through reflections from
challenges to our perceptions of reality on stage.

Here is an apocryphal story from Eastern traditions:

A poor farmer in China, a Zen practitioner, had a single horse. This horse
was essential to his work. It pulled his plow, brought his produce to
market, and provided transportation for his family.

One day, the farmer woke to find the gate open and the horse gone. His
neighbors came around to commiserate with him over his loss. He responded
only with, "We'll see."

Two days later, his stallion returned with a herd of 20 wild mares. His
neighbors came around to congratulate him on his wonderful good fortune.
Again, he responded only with, "We'll see."

The next day, his only son was struggling to ride one of the wild mares and
broke his leg. His neighbors came around again to commiserate with him over
his bad luck. Again, he responded only with, "We'll see."

A week later, the local warlord came to their village, conscripting every
able-bodied young male. Naturally, he was unable to take the farmeršs son.
His neighbors came around again to congratulate him on his wonderful good
fortune. Yet again, he responded only with, "We'll see..."

Our understanding of reality in any given moment is based on limited
awareness of the larger picture. In the fullness of time, we come to
appreciate that what we comprehended about a situation may have been partly
or totally erroneous, based on the facts we had available for our
consideration at the time. In hindsight, we might begin to appreciate that
an apparent misfortune or even a tragedy turns out to have life-transforming
benefits for us.

Much more on deeper understandings of reality in Healing Research, Volume
III ­ Personal Spirituality and in the soon to be published Personal
Spirituality Workbook.

Blessings

Dan