There was once a farmer who, after a poor crop, complained: "If God would only let me control the weather, everything would be better, because He apparently does not know very much about farming."
That's true! Nobody has ever heard about God being a farmer — how can He know?
The Lord said to him: "For one year I will give you control of the weather; ask for whatever you wish and you will get it."
In the old days God used to do that. Then He got fed up.
The poor man became very happy and immediately said, "Now I want sun," and the sun came out. Later he said, "Let the rain fall," and it rained. For a whole year first the sun shone and then it rained. The seed grew and grew, it was a pleasure to watch it. "Now God can understand how to control the weather," he said proudly. The crop had never been so big, so green, such a luscious green.
Then it was time to harvest. The farmer took his sickle to cut the wheat, but his heart sank. The stalks were practically empty. The Lord came and asked him, "How is your crop? "
The man complained, "Poor, my Lord, very poor!"
"But didn't you control the weather? Didn't everything you wanted turn out all right?"
"Of course! and that is the reason I am perplexed — I got the rain and the sunshine I asked for, but there is no crop."
Then the Lord said, "But have you never asked for wind, storms, ice and snow, and everything that purifies the air and makes the roots hard and resistant? You asked for rain and sunshine, but not for bad weather. That's the reason there is no crop.
Life is possible only through challenges. Life is possible only when you have both good weather and bad weather, when you have both pleasure and pain, when you have both winter and summer, day and night. When you have both sadness and happiness, discomfort and comfort. Life moves between these two polarities.
Moving between these two polarities you learn how to balance. Between these two wings you learn how to fly to the farthest star.
If you choose comfort, convenience, you choose death. That's how you have missed real happiness: you have chosen convenience instead. It is very convenient to follow the parental voice, convenient to follow the priest, convenient to follow the church, convenient to follow the society and the state. It is very easy to say yes to all these authorities — but then you never grow. You are trying to get life's treasure too cheap. It requires that you have to pay for it.
Be an individual and pay for it.
OSHO