A farmer’s son is very much loved by his father for his hardworking attitude and his loyalty to his family. One day however when fixing the barn he slips and falls from a great height injuring his leg and cannot work at all. His father goes to the local Buddha and asks “has my son got bad karma, why would this happen?” The local Buddha tells him “we can’t tell yet, we must wait and see.” Soon afterwards word spreads all over the locality that war is coming and all able bodied men under the age of 40 must submit to ranks and make ready for war. His son of course was considered unfit to go. The father seeing this as a strike of good fortune returns to the local Buddha and asks “has my son got good karma, why would this happen?” The local Buddha tells him “we can’t tell yet, we must wait and see.” A year goes by and the farmer’s son had made a slow recovery and had begun work again, albeit not as productively as he had once done. There had been no news of what had happened to the local troops but soon a messenger arrives talking of great victory. He tells many stories and that all of the locals survived and are heralded as heroes. He then departs. The farmer returns to the local Buddha and exclaims “why would this be? Has my son got bad karma to miss such victories? Why would this happen?” The local Buddha tells him “we can’t tell yet, we must wait and see.” Some weeks go by and then some of the local troops return. War torn, ragged they tell of grave defeat many missing and many more dead.
