There once lived an old man in a village. He was very poor, yet even kings envied him, because he owned a magnificent white horse. Many rulers offered him great wealth for it, but the old man always replied:
“This horse is not a horse to me. He is a being, a companion. How can one sell a being? How can one sell a friend?”
The old man was poor, but he never sold the horse.
One day, the horse disappeared from the stable. The entire village gathered, and people said:
“You foolish old man. We always knew this would happen. You should have sold the horse while you could. What a disaster.”
“Do not go so far,” replied the old man. “Simply say that the horse is not in the stable. That is the fact. Everything else is judgment. Whether this is misfortune or blessing, I do not know. It is only an episode. Who knows what will come next?”
The villagers laughed at him. But fifteen days later, one night, the horse returned — not alone. He had run toward freedom and came back with a dozen wild horses.
Again, the villagers gathered and said:
“Old man, you were right. This was not misfortune but a blessing.”
“You go too far again,” the old man answered calmly. “Simply say that the horse has returned. Who knows whether this is a blessing or not? It is only an episode. You have read only one word of the book — how can you judge the whole story?”
The old man had only one son. The boy began riding and training the horses. One week later, he fell and broke both his legs.
Once again, the villagers rushed to judge:
“You were right again. This is truly a disaster. Your only son has lost his legs. At your age, he was your only support.”
“You are obsessed with judging,” said the old man. “Do not go so far. Just say that my son broke his legs. Life comes to us in fragments. More than that is not given.”
A few weeks later, war broke out. All young men were taken into the army. The village cried and wailed, knowing most would never return.
They came to the old man and said:
“You were right. Now it is clear — this was a blessing. Your son is with you, while ours are gone forever.”
The old man replied:
“You continue to judge. No one knows. Simply say that your sons are fit for the army, and mine is not. Only God, the Absolute, knows whether this is misfortune or blessing.”
Judgment is the frozen state of the mind. The mind judges because growth is uncomfortable and uncertain. But the journey never truly ends. One chapter closes, another begins. One door closes, another opens. You reach one peak, and another, higher one appears. Life is an endless journey.