Mezzamanica - Oh really?

A Zen master, renowned for his integrity, is falsely accused by a young neighbor of being the father of the child she is carrying. Faced with the furious parents' insults and the instant loss of his reputation, the master neither defends himself nor gets upset, merely responding: "Oh, really?" Indifferent to others' judgment, he takes in the newborn baby and cares for it with profound solicitude for an entire year. When the girl, overcome by guilt, confesses that the true father is actually a young man from the fish market, the parents rush to the master to ask for his forgiveness and to reclaim the child. Without any objection or resentment, the master returns the infant and simply says once again: "Oh, really?" This story is very appealing to the globetrotting penguin because Tabishi knows that bad things happen in life. However, Tabishi is equally certain that it is possible to control how one reacts in certain circumstances. Very often, as in this case, it is not possible to control what people say or think. What one can do is continue to live one's life as one always has, confident that, when the appropriate time comes, time will restore the right balance. Scaling down the concept, one can think of an "Oh, really?" approach in response to unforeseen events encountered on a journey. Also because, the way one reacts to things can significantly change the final outcome.