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Reader question: Please explain Lady Luck, as in this sentence: Trust your own ability, rather than relying on Lady Luck. My comments: In other words, rely on yourself rather than anybody else. Lady Luck stands for good fortune, the chance of something good happening to you. Here, you’re advised to work hard instead of giving everything over to chance. Lest Lady Luck lose her patience with you. Rod Stuwart, in his gravelly voice, once sang a nice song with the title Lady Luck: Lady Luck Ain’t you the fickle kind Why are some folks lucky While the rest are tryin’ You keep on playin’ It’s still a mystery You’re laced with a touch of inconsistency So why don’t you give us all a break Make us all rich healthy and fine Five months holidays and a four hour week And a horse that wins all the time See? Lady Luck doesn’t play favors – at least not the same favors, I’m sorry to say. Like the wheel of fortune (an Indian concept), Lady Luck works, or rather plays without a care – at least not a particular care for you or I. Yet, people trust her to be there for them whenever they’re in a position to win, such as when they play the national lottery or in the casino, hoping she’ll lend them a hand. When people pray to Lady Luck, it’s the same as religious people praying to god or any superstitious person praying to the sky above. But, the important point, the only important point to note is, as Christians say, God only help those who help themselves. A similar idea is found in China, too, also since ancient times. Every once in a while some pious person wonders aloud why heaven doesn’t protect him from hardship, danger and misfortune, given that every time he prays to heaven, he puts good food on the table. Every once in a while some particular wise person will explain to him that bribery doesn’t work with the lord from thin air. Heaven, in fact, protects no one but those who are in tune with the Way of the Dao and therefore know how to utilize its power. This power is inexhaustible and free and but must be utilized effortlessly. That’s how the Way works. Can’t force it. | 
