LUCK - Is there such a thing as LUCK?

LUCK - Is there such a thing as LUCK?
A Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE

What is LUCK? 

Do you believe in GOOD LUCK and BAD LUCK?

Is there such a thing as GOOD FORTUNE and MISFORTUNE?

Do you have a FATE or DESTINY?

The answer to all these questions lies in the  famous parable OLD MAN AT THE FORT 

The Story of THE OLD MAN AT THE FORT 

An Old Man was living with his Son at an abandoned fort on the top of a hill, and one day he lost a horse. 

His fellow villagers came to express their sympathy for this misfortune.

But the Old Man asked them, “How do you say that this is a misfortune? The fact of the matter is that one horse is missing and there is one horse less in the stables. That is the fact. Whether it is good luck or bad luck – well that is a matter of judgment.”

A few days afterwards, the Old Man's horse returned with a number of wild horses.

The villagers came again to congratulate him on this stroke of fortune, and the Old Man replied, “How do you know this is good luck? The fact of the matter is that there are more horses in my stable than before. Whether it is good luck or bad luck – well that is a matter of opinion.”

With so many horses around, his young son began to take to riding in a big way. 

One day while riding a wild horse the Old Man's Son was thrown off and broke his leg and the accident made him lame in one leg. 

Again the neighbours came around to express their sympathy, and the Old Man replied, “How do you know this is bad luck?”

A few years later a great war broke out. 

All the able bodied men were forcibly conscripted into the army and all of them were sent to the battlefield to fight in the war.

The war was so terrible that all the young men of the village were killed fighting in the war.

Because the Old Man’s son had a broken leg, he was not conscripted into the army and he did not have to go to the battlefield and his life was saved.

Almost all the villagers had lost their sons in the war and all the villagers were envious at the Old Man’s “good fortune”.

But this time they did not say anything to the Old Man as they knew what his response would be. 

This parable drives home the lesson that there are no such things like good luck and bad luck.
Like the events in the story, sometimes what you think is “misfortune” may be a precursor to “good fortune”.  

Things like Destiny, Fate, Luck, Fortune do not exist - it is all in the mind.

Do you agree? Or do you believe in fate, destiny and luck?

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

NB

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like this story?  

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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

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