The Purpose of Life

How to deal with the wicked?

You must definitely have encountered toxic people in life. Many people try to irritate, enrage or let down a sober person, even trying to humiliate the one to such an extent that the one is forced to give up. Most of the times, it's best to ignore such people. But when they try to harm, one must know how to revert back.

Hence Shri Ramkrishna explains the importance of knowing how to deal with such beings.

Shri Ramkrishna says that a man living in society should make a show of Tamas (act of toughness) to protect himself from evil-minded people. The revered one makes the use of parable of a snake to make us understand his point. Here's the story:

Some cowheard boys used to tend their cows in a meadow where a terribly poisonous snake lived. Everyone was on alert for the fear of it. One day, a monk was going along the meadow.

The boys ran to him and said, "Revered sir, please don't go that way. A venomous snake lives over there."

"What of it, my good children?" said the monk, "I am not afraid of the snake. I know some mantras."

So saying, he continued on his way towards the meadow but the cowherd boys didn't accompany him. In the mean time, the snake moved swiftly towards the monk with an upraised hood. As soon as it came near, the monk recited a mantra and the snake lay at his feet like a mere earthworm.

The monk said, "Look here, why do you go about doing harm? Come, I will give you a blissful chant which shall make you learn how to love Bhagwaan. Ultimately you will realise him and so will get rid of violent nature."

Saying this the compassionate monk taught the snake a beautiful chant and initiated it into spiritual life.

The snake bowed before the monk and said, "Dear sir, how do I practise spiritual discipline?"

"Repeat the chant day and night and do no harm to anybody. I shall see you again some day," said the monk and departed.

Some days passed and the cowherd boys noticed that the snake would not bite. They threw stones at it, yet it displayed no anger and merrily chanted the name of the supreme. One day, a boy came close to it, caught it by its tail and whirling it round and round, dashed it again and again on the ground. Violently, he threw the innocent snake away.

The snake vomited blood and became unconscious. Late at night, it regained its consciousness. Slowly and with great difficulty, it dragged itself to the hole. Its vicera broke, it suffered from brutal internal injury.

Many days passed. The snake had become mere skeleton covered with skin. It would come out in search of food at night. For the fear of the boys, it dared not leave its hole in day time. Since receiving the beautiful chant from the monk it had given up doing harm to others. It maintained its life on dirt, leaves or fruits fallen from trees.

About a year later, the monk came that way again and asked about the snake. The cowherd boys told him that the snake is now dead. But he couldn't believe them. He knew that the snake would not die before attaining the fruits of the chant with which it had been initiated.

He found his way to the place and called the snake. Hearing the monk's voice, it came out from the hole and bowed before him with great reverence.

"How are you?" asked the monk.

"I am well, sir." The snake replied.

"But why have you become so thin?"

"Revered sir, you had asked me to not hurt anybody. So I have been living only on leaves and fruits. Perhaps that has made me thinner."

The snake had developed a quiality of Sattva. It could not be angry with anyone. It had totally forgotten that the cowherd boys had tried to almost kill it.

The monk said, "It can't be mere want of food that has reduced you to this state. There must be some other reason. Think a little."

"Yes, revered sir, now I remember. The boys one day dashed me violently on the ground. They are ignorant, after all. They didn't realise what a great change had come over my mind. How could they know I would not bite or harm anyone."

The monk exclaimed, "What a shame! You are such a fool! You don't know how to protect yourself. I asked you not to bite but I didn't forbid you to hiss! Why didn't you scare them by hissing?!"

So one must hiss at wicked people. You must frighten them lest they should do you harm. Learn this right.

--- Shri Ramkrishna Paramhansa

Gandhi taught us "अहिंसा परमो धर्मः।" (Nonviolence is the ultimate duty)

BUT THIS IS HALF TRUTH!

The full shloka is "अहिंसा परमो धर्मः। धर्म हिंसा तथैव च।" which means, Nonviolence is the ultimate dharma, so is violence in service and protection of Dharma!

There is a difference between being a coward and being tolerant.

When dharma asks you to fight back, don't give it a second thought.

Jai shree Ram.
Har har Mahadev!
Vande Matram!