Once upon a time, there was an old man named Sai who lived near the frontier of ancient China, close to the lands of nomadic peoples.
Like many families living near the frontier, Sai’s family owned horses. In those days, a horse was far more than a means of transportation. It was valuable property, essential for travel and daily life, and especially important in times of conflict. Losing a horse could be a significant loss for a family.
One day, for reasons unknown, one of Sai’s horses disappeared. His neighbors came to comfort him. But Sai was not upset. Instead, he said: “How do we know this is not a blessing?” His neighbors didn’t understand what he meant.
Several months later, the horse returned—and brought several wild horses with it. Now Sai’s family had more horses than before. His neighbors came to congratulate him. But Sai simply said: “How do we know this won’t bring misfortune?”
Sai’s son was delighted to have so many horses to ride. He loved riding and spent a great deal of time with them. One day, however, he fell from a horse and broke his leg. In those days, when medical treatment was limited, such an injury could have lifelong consequences.
Once again, the neighbors came to comfort Sai. But Sai said: “How do we know this is not a blessing?”
A year later, war broke out along the frontier. The emperor ordered young men to join the army and fight. It was a brutal war, and many young men never returned.
Sai’s son, however, was exempted from military service because of his injured leg.
He survived and remained at home with his family.
“近塞上之人，有善術者。馬無故亡而入胡，人皆弔之。其父曰：「此何遽不為福乎？」居數月，其馬將胡駿馬而歸，人皆賀之。其父曰：「此何遽不能為禍乎？」家富良馬，其子好騎，墮而折其髀，人皆弔之。其父曰：「此何遽不為福乎？」居一年，胡人大入塞，丁壯者引弦而戰，近塞之人，死者十九，此獨以跛之故，父子相保。”
— 塞翁失馬, 《淮南子‧人間訓》
This story was recorded more than 2,000 years ago in the ancient Chinese book named Huainanzi (淮南子). It comes in full circle:
The lost horse brought new horses.->The new horses led to an injury.->The injury ultimately saved his son’s life.
At every stage, what appeared to be good or bad was only one moment in a much larger story.
What does this have to do with Tai Chi?
Perhaps this is one reason I love this old story. In Tai Chi, we constantly experience changes: weight shifts, one leg becomes empty while the other becomes full, one movement flows into the next.
When we are in the middle of a transition, we cannot always foresee where it will lead. So perhaps the lesson is not to label every moment as “good” or “bad” too quickly. Instead, at each present moment, we can stay grounded, remain aware, and allow the next movement to unfold.
Just like in Tai Chi, life keeps shifting. The only constant is change.
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