Guest guest Posted November 13, 2004 Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 The Attitude Towards Enemies Good people [aspirants] should not with dejection hate enemies even a little, however bad they may be. For even hatred, like desire, is fit to be hated. Sadhu Om: This verse gives the same upadesa given by Sri Bhagavan in Who am I?: “One should not dislike others, no matter how bad they are. It is both likes and dislikes that are to be disliked.” Since that [this body, and the ego, the form of which is ‘I am the body’] which is rejected by an aspirant as ‘not I’ is the same as that which is ridiculed by his enemies, for an aspirant who wants to destroy the ego [himself], the various insults from his enemies are just like an anvil to the goldsmith. Sadhu Om: An aspirant means one who truly wants to destroy his ego-sense. He and his ego-sense are one and the same. Through the paths of both self-surrender and Self-enquiry, what he rejects or hates is the ego or himself. Since those [his enemies] who hate or scold him are also doing the same, they are pointed out here to be great helpers in his project. This is explained by the example of a goldsmith and his anvil. Because the anvil is resisting from below each of his hammer-blows, the goldsmith is able to shape his metal properly. If the anvil is soft, all the efforts of the goldsmith will be in vain. Similarly, the more appreciation an aspirant receives, the less will be the subsidence of his ego. Thus, rather than his appreciators, his enemies are helping the aspirant in his sadhana. Only that mighty one who has the great valour to conquer hatred by love is a true Sage [muni]. Sri Muruganar: “Hatred cannot end hatred” was the teaching of Buddha. However, even some spiritual aspirants, on seeing atrocities and thinking that it is their duty to attack the wrong-doers, jump into the matter with anger. To point out that it is not proper for them to do so, this instruction was given. from Guru Vachaka Kovai (The Garland of the Guru’s Sayings), by Muruganar http://www.davidgodman.org/rteach/gvk_intro.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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