How do you know it’s bad luck?

How do you know it's bad luck?

 

"A man ought to enjoy whatever God has bestowed on him in the firm conviction that He besets every thing, from behind and before, and on all sides and that whatever is bestowed on him by God must be for his good" – Sri Sai Satcharitra, Ch. XX.

 

Many years ago there was an old man who had one son and a horse. One day his horse broke out of the corral and fled to the freedom of the hills. "Your horse got out? What a bad luck!" said his neighbours.

 

"Why do you say that?" asked the old man. "How do you know it's bad luck?"

 

Sure enough, the next night the horse came back with his familiar correl for his usual feeding and watering, leading twelve wild horses with him. The farmer's son saw the horses in the correl, slipped out a slide door and locked the gate. Suddenly the farmer and his son had thirteen horses instead of none. The neighbours heard the good news and rushed to the farmer, "Thirteen horses! What a good luck you have."

 

The farmer answered, "How do you know that's good luck?"

 

Some days later his strong young son trying to ride one of the wild horses, was thrown off and broke a leg. The neighbour came back that night and passed another hasty judgment: "Your son broke his leg. What a bad luck?"

 

The wise father answered again, "How do you know it's bad luck?"

 

Sure enough, a few days later a warlord came through the town and conscripted every able-bodied young man, taking them off to war, never to return to their homes again. But the young man was saved because of his broken leg.