Re Faith : Here is one , - 2

[Guest guest]

"About 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 the hole and

bowed before him with great reverence. 'How are you?'

asked the brahmachari. 'I am well, sir,' replied the

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

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

to harm any body. So I have been living only on

leaves and fruits. Perhaps that has made me

thinner.'<br><br> "The snake had developed the quality of sattva;

it could not be angry with anyone. It had totally

forgotten that the cowherd boys had almost killed

it.<br><br> "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?'<br><br> "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."<br><br> "In this creation of God

there is a variety of things: men, animals, trees,

plants. Among the animals some are good, some bad. There

are ferocious animals like the tiger. Some trees bear

fruits sweet as nectar, and others bear fruit that is

poisonous. Likewise, among human beings, there are the good

and the wicked, the holy and the unholy. There are

some who are devoted to God, and others who are

attached to the world.