Some interesting writeps

This is the first write up- moral- Whenever you miss something, you gain something and whenever you gain something, you lose something.

There is one story I read in a book of Osho which I think is from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tze and I consider it one of the best I have read.

Once upon a time in China there was a villager who had a magnificent horse. Kings and wealthy people used to make him with handsome offers to buy his horse but he refused saying that the horse was like a son/person to him. Then one day the horse ran away. All the villagers came to him to convey their disappointment and told him that he was a fool not to have sold him off when the going was good. He replied “ Just say that the horse has bolted. Don’t say whether it is for good and what is for bad” . Then after a few days, the horse came back with fifteen other very good but wild horses. All of them became his. The villagers again came and congratulated him. This time again he said the same thing,” Just say that the horse has come back with fifteen other horses but don’t say that whether it is for good or bad.” Then, after a few days, while his son was trying to tame a few horses, he fell and broke his leg permanently. The villagers again congregated and lamented the fall. Again they got the same answer, “ Just say that he has broken his leg. Don’t say whether it is for good or for bad” . Then after a few days, a war broke out with a very vast country with whom there was little chance of winning. All the young men were summoned in the army but the villager’s son got exempted because of his broken leg. The villagers again congregated and told him how lucky he was. Their sons were going to sure deaths but at least in his case, his son would be in front of him and could even get permanently all right. The old man again said, “ Just say that your sons are going and mine is not. Whether it is for good or bad, time alone will tell. “

One of my bosses also told me that it was a good thing that he couldn’t get into the medical profession and got into Engineering though he deeply regretted it at that time. He again missed the bus in IAS but felt better doing MBA later because post liberalization, IAS is not exactly sought after. Then he did not get a job in a good multinational but had to join a smaller company. It proved to be a boon in disguise because he got all round exposure( a big fish in a small pond) rather than a specialized job( a small fish in a big pond) which improved his long term prospects tremendously apart from flowering of his entrepreneurial talent which could have got stifled in a multinational bureaucracy where non access to the top management would have reduced him to a cog in the wheel.

My own experiences also corroborate all this. One can apply it to the stock market too. We wait for filters or closing above a certain level to gauge whether or not there is a genuine breakout. We have to constantly monitor whether the trend of range will sustain. Of course, we have past behavior and weekly charts to judge better. The difference is that breakouts maybe good for some bad for some depending upon positions.

There is a similar story of zen master hakuin,goes like this

The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.
A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly,
without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.
This made her parents very angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after
much harassment at last named Hakuin.
In great anger the parents went to the master. “Is that so?” was all he would say.
After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his
reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained
milk from his neighbors and everything else the little one needed.
A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth --
that the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.
The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to
apologize at length, ad to get the child back again.
Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: “Is that so?”

Interesting story. Reminds you what Buddha said about coping up with insults- it is up to you to decide whether to take it or not. There is one very interesting poem to the effect:-

I am not trying to preach or anything. These are interesting things I picked up along the way and I would appreciate if you reciprocate and enhance mutual learning:-

I asked God for strength that I may achieve
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for health that I may do greater things.
I was given infirmity that I may do better things.

I asked for riches that I might be happy.
I was given poverty .that I might be wise.

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need for god.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for but everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am among all men, most richly blessesd.

If I may add:-

I asked for the ability to spot breakouts and trends
The market went a lot against me to force me to introspect & make amends.

CV & sh50, you guys are great.
sh50, your last post was mind-blowing. Your last couplet too.
Thanks for all this food for thought. Pleasant & constructive deviation from all the drudgery of trading.