Bullying

[Guest guest]

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. "

 

 

 

 

_______

 

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[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

In essence, 'bullying' is the abuse of power.

 

The two guides that have shaped Hinduism are Viduraniti from the

Mahabharata, and Chanakyaniti from the historical period. 'Niti' here

refers to the Righteous Code of Conduct, from the King to the citizen.

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

 

 

 

Ramakrishna, " Kendra Crossen Burroughs "

<kcburroughs> wrote:

> A story from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna seems appropos. The

Master said:

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

The Vidura and Chanakya Niti shastras are available in

translation at URLs:

 

 

http://www.hinduism.co.za/vidura.htm#Vidur%20Niti

 

http://sanskrit.gde.to/all_pdf/chaaNakyaNiti.pdf

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

 

 

 

Ramakrishna, " Kendra Crossen Burroughs "

<kcburroughs> wrote:

> 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. "

>

>

>

>

> _______

>

> Get your free @ address at