You Never Know

A story retold by Ram Dass

A man had a horse that ran away.
When his neighbor found out, he came over and said, "that's terrible".

The man said, "you never know".

The next day, the horse came back and was leading two wild horses.
The neighbor said "that's wonderful".
The man said, "you never know".

The man's only son was training one of the horses and fell off and broke his leg.
The neighbor came over and said "that's terrible".
The man said, "you never know".

The Cossack army came through the village and recruited everyone.

They took all the young men. But they didn't take the son because he had a broken leg.
Again, the neighbor said, "that's wonderful".
And again, the man said, "you never know".

-from a story told by Ram Das

 

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And so it goes. That is how life is, we make all kinds of assumptions.

But the truth is, we don't really know anything.

Most of us assume because a situation is painful, difficult or unpleasant, that it's bad. It is often an unforeseen blessing. Each time things fall apart, life is teaching us about impermanence. Notice your reaction. When we are losing are footing, it is another opportunity to strengthen our connection with ourselves and taking another step into the unknown. At midlife, we (can) learn to live with a greater degree of uncertainty and humility. In admitting how little we truly know, we gain wisdom.
- comments by Stephanie Marston
 

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"I know that I know nothing."

- Attributed to Socrates

​

"Not knowing one knows is best."

-Lao Tzu

"Paradise is where I am."
-Voltaire (France, 1694-1788)

He who binds himself to a joy
Does the winged life destroy
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sunrise
-William Blake

A flower falls, even though we love it;

and a weed grows, even though we do not love it."

-Dogen

A stumble may prevent a fall." -Thomas Fuller

"In this world there are only two tragedies;

one is not getting what one wants,

the other is getting it." 

-Oscar Wilde

"There are only two ways to live your life.

One is though nothing is a miracle.

The other is though everything is." 

-Albert Einstein