Once upon a time, there was a general who was leading his army into battle against an enemy ten times the size of his own.
Along the way to the battle field, the troops stopped by a small temple to pray for victory.
The general held up a coin and told his troops, "I am going to implore the gods to help us crush our enemy. If this coin lands with the heads on top, we'll win. If it's tails, we'll lose. Our fate is in the hands of the gods. Let's pray wholeheartedly."
After a short prayer, the general tossed the coin. It landed with the heads on top. The troops were overjoyed and went into the battle with high siprit.
Just as predicted, the smaller army won the battle.
The soldiers were exalted, "It's good to have the gods on our side! No one can change what they have determined."
"Really?" The general show them the coin--both sides of it were heads.
Reflections
* One's destiny is not fixed or decided by the gods or 'Fate'. One's destiny is within our own hands.
* The Law of Cause and Effect reigns supreme - the present is conditioned to a good extent by the past; the future is not fixed ... it depends primarily on a set of causes and conditions of the present.
* The outcome of a deed or action depends on various factors and conditions ... one of the most important being one's mental state of mind/attitude ... concentration, mindfulness, confidence and other positive qualities of the mind.
* 'IF WE THINK WE CAN, WE CAN' is certainly a good point to practice.With Metta,
Bro. Oh Teik Bin
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