One day a sadhu went to the river to bathe.
There he noticed scorpion struggling in the water.
Scorpions cannot swim and the sadhu knew that if he did not save the scorpion, it would drown, therefore carefully picking up the scorpion, the sadhu rescued it from drowning and was just about to set it down gently on land when the scorpion stung his finger.
In pain the sadhu instinctively flung his hand and the scorpion went flying back into the river.
As soon as the sadhu regained his composure from the sting he again lifted the scorpion out of the water.
Again before he could set the scorpion safely on land, the creature stung him. This drama went on several minutes.
A hunter watched as the saint carefully and gingerly lifted the creature out of the water, only to fling it back in as he convulsed in pain from each fresh sting.
Finally, the hunter said to the sadhu, “Forgive me for my frankness, but it is clear that the scorpion going to continue to sting you each and every time you carry it to safety.
Why don’t you give up and just let it drown?”
The sadhu replied, “My dear child the scorpion is not stinging me out of malice or evil intent. Just as it is water’s nature to make me wet, so its scorpion’s nature to sting. He doesn’t realize that I am carrying him to safety. That is a level of conscious comprehensions greater than what his brain can achieve.”
But just as it is the scorpion’s nature to sting. So it is my nature to save. Just as he is not leaving his nature, why should I leave my nature?
My dharma is to help any creature of any kind-human or animal.
Why should I let a small scorpion rob me of the divine nature which I cultivated through years of sadhana?
Moral of the story:
Many times it happens we are insulted from our friends, colleagues, co-workers, bosses etc. sometime these act are subtle – a friend, relative or colleague who unexpectedly betrays us or who we find has been surreptitiously speaking negative about us behind our back. We feel so much agitated and full of anger.
We just want to take revenge. In result we slowly we find that our own actions, words and thoughts become driven by anger and pain, we find ourselves engaged in cunning thoughts of revenge.
Before we realize it, we are injuring ourselves by negative emotions dominate us.
Our dharma is to be kind, pure honest, loving , giving, sharing and caring to whoever come across our life. “Our thoughts and our words should be always pleasing to others.”
Others due to ignorance lack of understanding or due to the way in which their karmic drama is unfolding, may act with malice, deceit. selfishness and indifference, but we must not let their actions or their ignorance deprive us of fulfilling our dharma.
In this material world we always struggle hard to find the fault of others, and we try to take revenge in one way or other. We never admit our mistakes and always point out others blaming the opponent for any issues faced by us. We encounter people who harm us, insult us, plot against us, whose action seem calculated to thwart the successful achievement of our goals.
Srimad Bhagavatam following 2 verses 3.1.15 and 16 teaches us how Vidura controlled his insult from Duryodhana without uttering a word in return, he just left the palace accepting it as Krishna’s
benediction. Duryodhana said,
ka enam atropajuhaava jihmam
dasyaah sutam yad-balinaiva pushtah
tasmin prateepah parakrtya aaste
nirvaasyataam aashu puraac chvasaanah
“Who asked him to come here, this son of a kept mistress? He is so crooked that he spies in the interest of the enemy against those on whose support he has grown up. Toss him out of the palace immediately and leave him with only his breath.”
sa ittham atyulbana karna baanair
bhraatuh puro marmasu taadito ‘pi
svayam dhanur dvaari nidhaaya maayaam
gata-vyatho ‘yaad uru maanayaanah
“Thus being pierced by arrows through his ears and afflicted to the core of his heart, Vidura placed his bow on the door and quit his brother’s palace. He was not sorry, for he considered the acts of the external energy to be supreme.”
wonderful post
thanks