During my early days of career, I was required to travel extensively across India. It was in 1990 when I was travelling from Bangalore to Delhi and met one Sadhu Maharaj in the train. We both were travelling in a sleeper class and a casual conversation began.
Whenever you meet a sadhu maharaj, you tend to ask about your future, very obvious question. My question was also similar but worded slightly differently – “Sadhu Maharaj, why is it that bad-luck comes before good-luck?”
Not just the Sadhu Maharaj, but almost all people sitting around laughed aloud. Maybe I touched their emotional cord too.
In all this laughter, Sadhu Maharaj expressed his views – “There is a story behind this. ‘Good-Luck’ and ‘Bad-Luck’ were twin brothers of an emperor named ‘Fortune’. Both the brothers have been very close to each other and never stayed away from each other. The emperor Fortune also loved them very much.”
“One day, the emperor ‘Fortune’ called both of them and told them that it is time now that they should make people understand the reason of their existence. Emperor ‘Fortune’ gave both of them a task. He asked them to search for a house to stay in the deep forest. The condition would be – both have to enter the same house and who ever would reach first would stay and the second would return to him, and wait for the earlier to vacate the house. Which meant that if ‘Good-Luck’ entered the house, the ‘Bad-Luck’ would return to the emperor ‘Fortune’ and wait for his turn, and vice versa. Emperor ‘Fortune’ would decide about how long they should stay and when to leave. Both were required to hold themselves as much in the house with their respective deeds – ‘Good-Luck deeds” or ‘Bad-Luck deeds”- in the house.
The emperor ‘Fortune’ was sure of the abilities of his sons. Early morning the emperor ‘Fortune’ hugged both his sons and gave them permission to leave.
Since then, when ‘Good-Luck’ stays with you, the ‘Bad-Luck’ awaits with ‘Fortune’ for its turn. And when the ‘Bad-Luck’ stays with you, ‘Good-Luck’ waits for its turn.
The Sadhu Maharaj said – “Since both keep moving and do not stay at one place, the phases of ‘Good-Luck’ and ‘Bad-Luck’ always remain temporary. Ultimately, one would live life as per karma, hard-work and dedication.”
When on one side, the ‘Bad-Luck’ would make you stronger and enhance your ability to face tough situations; on the other side, the ‘Good-Luck’ would give you results of what ‘Bad-Luck’ taught you. Your learning would result in your success and blessings. Do not run after ‘Good-Luck’ or ‘Bad-Luck’, they are the sons of emperor ‘Fortune’, you would not be able to chase either of them.
The Sadhu Maharaj then slept peacefully and I was awake to understand every word that he had said.
The most important part was that – who ever would vacate the house – either ‘Good-Luck’ or ‘Bad-Luck’ – he would first visit emperor ‘Fortune’, take his permission, and then return to enter the house. It meant, both ‘Good-Luck’ or ‘Bad-Luck’ are indeed part of your ‘Fortune’, thus both are valuable. And ‘Fortune’ is determined by your Karma.
‘Good-Luck’ prepares you for ‘Bad-Luck’ and ‘Bad-luck’ prepares you for ‘Good-Luck’. Both are dependent on each other and both are independent too.
I don’t know when I slept, but when I got-up, I did not find Sadhu Maharaj.
Since then, I decided to stay connected to myself, no matter what. I also learnt to understand good-days and bad-days better. While I enjoyed the good-days, I also saved my energy to handle bad-days, after all, now I knew, good-days are not far.