Two Stories with a Moral to reflect on. The stories contain some 'LIFE Lessons'.

1. Story To
Reflect Upon 1
It's In Your Hands
Once there was a wise old man who could answer any
question anyone asked him. Two young men decided
to trick him. "We're going to fool that old man. We'll
catch a bird and go to the old man and say, "This that
we hold in our hands today, is it alive or is it dead?"
"If he says 'Dead', we'll turn it loose and let it fly, and
if he says 'Alive', we'll crush it."
So they caught a bird and carried it to the old man.
"This that we hold in our hands today, is it alive or is it
dead?" they asked
The old man looked at the men, smiled and replied:
"It's in your hands.”
Reflection
* Wisdom needs a calm, clear mind ... a mind that
is alert, mindful of all phenomena and data
around.
* Wise thinking requires the ability to think 'out of
the box', to be free from habitual and conditioned
thinking based on untested assumptions.
* Training the mind in "Right Mindfulness" can
develop clear comprehension and wisdom.

2. Story To
Reflect Upon 2
The Farmer's Horse
There is a story of a farmer whose horse ran away.
That evening the neighbors gathered to console him
since this was such bad luck. He said, "May be."
The next day the horse returned, but brought with it six
wild horses, and the neighbors came exclaiming at his
good fortune. He said, "May be."
And then, the following day, his son tried to saddle
and ride one of the wild horses; he was thrown, and
broke his leg. Again the neighbors came to offer their
sympathy for the misfortune. He said, "May be."
The day after that, conscription officers came to the
village to seize young men for the army, but because
of the broken leg the farmer's son was rejected. When
the neighbors came to say how fortunately everything
had turned out, he said, "May be."
Reflection
* None is free from the eight worldly conditions of 'Pleasure
and Pain', 'Gain and Loss', 'Praise and Blame' and 'Honor
and Dishonor'. Reflecting on this Truth of Samsaric
existence, one learns to
1. be more calm and accepting of the things that befalls him.
2. develop a mental state of equanimity or tranquility. The
mental state will become more peaceful in the face of
changing fortunes.
3. see that the only certainty is uncertainty. 'Tragic' things
may become a blessing and vice versa.
4. see that the wisest thing to practice is 'present
mindfulness' ... the past is dead and gone and the future is
unknown ...
* Our attitude towards happenings determines to a great
extent our mental happiness and peace.
* Often one's mental state can be more happy, peaceful and
free if one's mind does not attach and cling ... 'Letting it go'
or 'letting it be' are mental attitudes that often help one to
be peaceful .