There once was an old Zen farmer. Every day, the farmer used his horse to help work his fields and keep his farm healthy.

But one day, the horse ran away. All the villagers came by and said, “We’re so sorry to hear this. This is such bad luck.”

The farmer simply responded, “Bad luck. Good luck. Who knows?”

The villagers were confused, but decided to ignore him. A few weeks went by and then one afternoon, while the farmer was working outside, he looked up and saw his horse running toward him. But the horse was not alone. The horse was returning to him with a whole herd of horses. So now the farmer had 10 horses to help work his fields.

All the villagers came by to congratulate the farmer and said, “Wow! This is such good luck!”

The farmer simply responded, “Good luck. Bad luck. Who knows?

A few weeks later, the farmer’s son came over to visit and help his father work on the farm. While trying to tame one of the horses, the farmer’s son fell and broke his leg.

The villagers came by to commiserate and said, “How awful. This is such bad luck.”

The farmer simply responded, “Good luck. Bad luck. Who knows?

A month later, the farmer’s son was still recovering. He wasn’t able to walk or do any manual labor to help his father around the farm.

A regiment of the army came marching through town conscripting every able-bodied young man to join them. When the regiment came to the farmer’s house and saw the young boy’s broken leg, they marched past and left him where he lay.

Of course, all the villagers came by and said, “Amazing! This is such good luck. You’re so fortunate.”

And the farmer simply responded, “Good luck. Bad luck. Who knows?

All to often we try to control the events of our lives by deciding what outcome would be “good” and what would be “bad,” and then working very hard to achieve one and avoid the other. But we have no way of knowing whether an event will ultimately prove to be what we think of as “good” or “bad.”

Just like the farmer in the Taoist Parable, something that seems like “good” news in the present moment might turn out to bring inconveniences or even heartbreak in the future. And something that appears to be a “bad” thing in the present moment might become very useful on another occasion.

By maintaining an open and receptive awareness — not clinging to any outcome, desired or dreaded — we allow space for life to flow, with all of its unknowable twists and turns…and its possibilities, too.

When we stop comparing ourselves to others, all notions of inferiority and superiority vanish. We then live in a state of choiceless awareness. In this state, you simply “ARE” – you are just there, JUST THIS.

Whether you’re a small bush or a towering tree, it doesn’t matter; you are entirely yourself. A single blade of grass is as essential as the largest star. The melodic call of a cuckoo is as vital as any enlightened being – the world would be diminished if either disappeared.

No one is inherently higher or lower, superior or inferior. Everyone and everything is incomparably unique. You are needed, and you are unique just as you are. If you struggle to feel this, it’s often due to the ego’s constant need to categorize things as higher or lower, better or worse. This is just a game the ego plays.

Our Karma defines the unique “suchness” of our life experience. It will manifest in many different forms, and these forms shouldn’t be labeled as “good” or “bad.” In fact, the specific form they take is a device for spiritual awakening. If we only see situations and conditions through the lens of “good” or “bad,” we’ll miss their profound meaning. Everything has a purpose; everything is meaningful, and everything is important. YOU ARE ALL OF THIS: JUST THIS!

Choiceless awareness is a deliberate practice aimed at diminishing our ingrained compulsion to have preferences that define and separate us from the authentic reality of Life. It’s about living “The Way,” as the Masters speak of it – a way of being that is harmonious with the vibrations contained within every molecule on Earth.

Everything in this world resonates with the basic tone of the Universal ONENESS from which we are all derived. Our very souls are the alchemy of the Love that forms our basic spiritual chemistry. In truth, we are part of a profound transformation that can only occur through consciousness.