Bullying

[Guest guest]

Further to the question asked about how a Hindu

should handle 'bullying'

 

The following response from Kendra may be of interest.

 

MODERATE -- kcburroughs@ posted to

Ramakrishna list

 

A story from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna seems appropos.

The Master said:

 

"Listen to a story. Some cowherd boys used to tend their cows

in a meadow where a terrible poisonous snake lived. Everyone

was on the alert for fear of it. One day a brahmachari 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 brahmachari. 'I am not

afraid of the snake. I know some mantras.' So saying, he continued

on his way along the meadow. But the cowherd boys, being afraid,

did not accompany him. In the meantime the snake moved swiftly

toward him with upraised hood. As soon as it came near, he recited

a mantra, and the snake lay at his feet like an earthworm.

The brahmachari said: 'Look here. Why do you go about doing

harm? Come, I will teach you a holy word. By repeating it you will

learn to love God. In this way you will get rid of your violent nature

and ultimately realize Him.' Saying this, he taught the snake a holy

word and initiated him into spiritual life.

 

The snake bowed before the teacher and said, 'Revered sir,

how shall I practice spiritual discipline?' 'Repeat that sacred

word,' said the teacher, 'and do not harm anybody.' As he was

about to depart the brahmachari said, 'I shall see you again.'

 

"Some days passed and the cowherd boys noticed that the

snake did not bite.They threw stones at it. Still it showed no

anger; it behaved as if it were an earthworm. One day one of

the boys came close to it, caught it by the tail, and, whirling it

round and round, dashed it again and again on the ground and

threw it away. The snake vomited blood and became unconscious.

It was stunned. It could not move. So, thinking it was dead, the boys

went their way.

 

"Late at night the snake regained consciousness. Slowly and with

great difficulty it dragged itself into its hole; its bones were broken and

it

could scarcely move. Many days passed. The snake became a mere

skeleton covered with skin. Now and then, at night, it would come

out in search of food. For fear of the boys it would not leave its hole

during

the daytime. Since receiving the sacred word from the teacher, it had

given up injuring others. It lived on dirt, leaves, or the fruit that

dropped

from the trees.

 

"About a year later the brahmachari came that way again and asked after

the snake. The cowherd boys told him that it was dead. But he couldn't

believe them. He knew that the snake would not die before attaining

the fruit of the holy word with which it had been initiated. He found

his way to the place and, searching here and there, called it by

the name he had given it. Hearing the teacher's voice, it came

out of its hole and bowed before him with great reverence.

'How are you?' asked the brahmachari. 'I am all right, sir,' replied

the snake. 'But, ' the teacher asked, 'why are you so thin?'

The snake replied: 'Revered sir, you ordered me not to harm

anybody. So I have been living only on leaves and fruits.

Perhaps that has made me thinner.'

 

"The snake had become righteous; it could not be angry with anyone.

It had totally forgotten that the cowherd boys had almost killed it.

"The brahmachari 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.' Then the snake remembered that the boys had

dashed it against the ground. It said: 'Yes, revered sir, now I

remember. The boys one day dashed me violently against

the ground. They are ignorant, after all. They didn't realize what

a great change had come over my mind. How could they know

I wouldn't bite or harm anyone?'

The brahmachari 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 you must hiss at wicked people. You must frighten them lest they

should do you harm. But never inject your venom into them.

One must not injure others."