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Perhaps you have heard this story.... I have come to experience it shared in various ways by many teachers... the first time however was when I was in college watching recorded re-runs of Northern Exposure, in the episode where Ed gets hit by lightning and is racking his brain to figure out the age old question
"why me?" Marilyn tells him a story:
Ed: Boy, Marilyn, I’ve been thinking about this lightning thing so much, I’ve gone and given myself a headache.
Marilyn: Maybe you shouldn’t think about it.
Ed: I tried that, too. When I try not thinking about it, the only thing that goes through my head is still It. (pause) Who do you think is right? Is it a nihilistic universe with no meaning, oh, other than survival, or does the enlightenment view prevail? Does the Creator have a master plan, and if so, what is it?
Marilyn: My uncle once told me about a warrior who had a fine stallion. Everybody said how lucky he was to have such a horse. “Maybe,” he said.
One day the stallion ran off. The people said the warrior was unlucky. “Maybe,” he said.
Next day, the stallion returned, leading a string of fine ponies. The people said it was very lucky. “Maybe,” the warrior said.
Later, the warrior’s son was thrown from one of the ponies and broke his leg. The people said it was unlucky. “Maybe,” the warrior said.
The next week, the chief led a war party against another tribe. Many young men were killed. But, because of his broken leg, the warrior’s son was left behind, and so was spared.
∞ ceci
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