Let me share with you a story from the great master Ramakrishna about how we should avoid evil while living in such a complex society.
How can we apply the teachings of goodness while also preserving our integrity?
One day, a devotee asked the master:
Sir, if a man is about to harm someone or actually does so, should we remain silent?
The Master replied:
A person living in society should create the impression of great strength in order to protect themselves from those with wicked minds, but they should not harm anyone in anticipation of an evil that may or may not befall them.
Listen to this story.
Some young shepherds used to take their cows to a field where a terribly venomous snake lived. Everyone in the village lived in fear of it.
One day, a saint was passing by the field. The boys ran to him and said:
Holy man, please do not go that way. A venomous snake lives there.
What does it matter, my children? the saint said. I am not afraid of snakes. I know some mantras.
Saying this, he continued walking toward the field, but the shepherds, afraid, did not follow him.
Meanwhile, the snake rushed toward him with its head raised. As soon as it arrived, the saint recited a mantra, and the serpent lay at his feet as if it were a harmless worm.
The saint said:
Look here. Why do you keep harming others? Come, I will give you a sacred word. By repeating it, you will learn to love God. In time, you will realize Him and thus free yourself from your violent nature.
Saying this, he gave the snake a sacred word and initiated it into the spiritual life.
The serpent bowed before its master and asked:
Revered sir, how shall I practice spiritual discipline?
Repeat the sacred word, said the master, and do not harm anyone.
As he was leaving, the saint said:
I will see you again.
A few days passed, and the shepherds noticed that the snake no longer bit anyone. So, they began to throw stones at it, but still, it showed no anger; it behaved as if it were a harmless worm.
One day, one of the boys approached, grabbed it by the tail, spun it in the air, slammed it to the ground several times, and then threw it far away. The snake vomited blood and lost consciousness. Dizzy and unable to move, it lay still. Thinking it was dead, the boys left.
Late at night, the snake regained consciousness. Slowly and with great difficulty, it dragged itself to its hole; its bones were broken, and it could barely move.
Days passed. The snake had become a skeleton covered in skin. Occasionally, at night, it would go out in search of food. Afraid of the boys, it did not leave its hole during the day. Since it had received the sacred word from the master, it had stopped harming others. It survived on scraps, leaves, and fallen fruit from trees.
About a year later, the saint returned and asked about the snake. The shepherds told him it was dead. He could not believe them. He knew it would not die before reaping the fruits of the sacred word with which it had been initiated.
He began searching for it, calling it by the name he had given it.
Hearing the master's voice, the serpent emerged from its hole and bowed reverently before him.
How are you? the saint asked.
I am well, sir, the snake replied.
But why are you so thin? asked the master.
The snake answered:
Revered master, you instructed me not to harm anyone. So, I have been living only on leaves and fruit. Perhaps that is why I have become so thin.
The snake had developed the quality of Sattva; it could no longer be angry at anyone. It had completely forgotten that the boys had nearly killed it.
The saint said:
It cannot be just a lack of food that has brought you to this state. There must be another reason. Think for a moment.
Then the snake remembered that the boys had thrown it to the ground.
It said:
Yes, revered master, now I remember. One day, the boys violently threw me to the ground. After all, they are ignorant. They did not understand the great change that had occurred in my mind. How could they have known that I no longer bite or harm anyone?
The saint exclaimed:
What a shame! You are a fool! You do not know how to protect yourself. I told you not to bite, but I did not forbid you from hissing. Why didn’t you scare them away with your hiss? You must, therefore, hiss at evil people. You must frighten them; otherwise, they will harm you. But never inject your venom into them. No one should harm others.
In God's creation, there is a variety of things: men, animals, trees, and plants. Among animals, some are good, and others are bad. There are fierce animals like the tiger. Some trees bear fruits as sweet as nectar, while others bear poisonous fruits. Likewise, among human beings, there are the good and the wicked, saints and sinners. Some are devoted to God, while others are attached to the world.
You must never do evil, but you have the duty to protect yourself from the evil that exists in the world.
After the master's words, a deep silence took over everyone, and the disciples were invited to profound reflection.
