The Secret of Success

frequently doomed to failure. In order to succeed in this world, we have to know when to act and when to refrain from acting. Sometimes one has no option but to proceed with one’s journey—to go straight ahead—but sometimes it is wiser to turn off to the left or the right. The exigencies of daily living in this world are an ongoing test of one’s wisdom, and it is only those who can measure up to the severest standards who will ultimately be successful in life. The Wise Course for Recovering Loss Once, a dispute arose between two farmers, over the boundary of their fields. The dispute, which to begin with, concerned a piece of land, developed into an issue of honour. Withdrawing their respective claims, they thought, would amount to losing face. Thus the quarrel which had started on a petty issue was blown up out of all proportion, and neither party was willing to make a compromise. Things went from bad to worse. Murders were committed on either side, and crops were cut down and burnt, until eventually the matter was brought to court. The procedure was lengthy and the cases were brought to an end only when both the parties had lost everything in the process—fields, orchards, jewels and so on. To recover something of lesser value, they had lost everything. Another farmer found himself in a similar situation. But, instead of taking immediate action, he chose to stop and give the matter very serious consideration. He also consulted his friends as to what steps he should take. Finally he came to the conclusion that the boundary dispute should be settled not actually at the boundary, but on some other front. He started to think over the issue not in terms of today but in terms of yesterday. He was deeply hurt at the usurpation of a part of his farm and he felt the same sense of dishonour and material loss as the men who had acted in haste.