A Mad Elephant

Hi All,

Somebody mailed me this story. I thought it is good....

Buddha never forgot the promise he make to king Bimbisara to return and give him teachings. So when the time was right, he journeyed to Rajagriha.


Outside this royal city was a hill called Vulture's Peak, and Buddha and many his disciples went and lived in caves there.
King Bimbisara often went to Vulture's Peak to hear the words of the Buddha. The people of the city went also, and soon the number of Buddha's followers grew very large.
After some time, the King and several other rich people gave Buddha and his followers parks where everyone could stay and listen to his teachings in comfort.
Buddha's cousin, Devadatta, became very jealous. "He has so many people following him, " he thought, "and everyone shows him so much respect. But they all ignore me, and I am as great as he is. I must destroy him !"
He knew that he would need help in killing the Buddha, so he went to King Billiards's son."Don't you want to be King ?" he asked.

" Why should your father have all the wealth and power ?" Come, if you help me kill the Buddha, I shall help you kill your father. Then you can become King in his place." The King's son listened to these wicked words and agreed.
Then the two of them tried many ways to murder the Buddha.

One day, while Buddha was sitting in meditation near Vulture's Peak, they rolled a very large boulder down the hill towards him. But just before it was going to crush him, the rock split in half, leaving Buddha unharmed.
Another time, Buddha was walking through the city with several of his closet disciples.The two men knew he was coming and were ready. They had bought an elephant and gave it lots of liquor to drink.
When the elephant was quite drunk, they beat it with sticks until it was crazy with anger. Then they released it in the direction of the Buddha, hoping the elephant would trample him to death.
When the disciples saw the enraged elephant charging towards them, they ran away in fear. All except Ananda, Buddha's closet companion, who stayed by his teacher's side, holding onto Buddha's robe.
Buddha saw the elephant coming and , instead of being frightened or angry, felt great love and pity for the poor beast.
Even though the elephant was drunk and crazed, it felt the power of Buddha's love.It stopped charging and walked over to the Buddha meekly, and then bowed down its large head at Buddha's feet.

Buddha patted the elephant gently an turned and said to Ananda,"The only way to destroy hatred is with love. Hatred can not be defeated with more hatred."


Veda

hi,
very nice message. We all know that "Love is the only cure for hatred" but we seldom practice it.


Sravanthi

Hi,
nice message.
Love can cure all evils.

Dear Veda
'Innar seidarai oruthal avar naana
Nannayam seidhu vidal'
This is my Veda and I have followed it all my life.
Nothing can bring around people than being good to them under all circumstances. I have found this extremely difficult in my initial years but after years of practice, it has almost become a way of life for me!
A nice story!
Sri

Hi
This is a very touching incident & our mythological stories r full of such episodes.
But can u tell me now in present situations can u think of loving terririst which kill without compunction ,no mercy or respect for human life ?
Can we cure our so called NETAS by loving them while they r making a fool of everybody?

Can we love the mass murderers of NITHARI & cure them of their Hatred & hineus crimes against humanity?
I doubt it very very much.

Originally Posted by jaishree9

Hi
This is a very touching incident & our mythological stories r full of such episodes.
But can u tell me now in present situations can u think of loving terririst which kill without compunction ,no mercy or respect for human life ?
Can we cure our so called NETAS by loving them while they r making a fool of everybody?

Can we love the mass murderers of NITHARI & cure them of their Hatred & hineus crimes against humanity?
I doubt it very very much.

Hi

I am not so experienced or an expert to talk about in this topic. You are talking of extremists & sadists. However I can say a few things:
1. Nobody is a born terrorist. It is the circumstances and the situations push them to take arms. But once taken he cant keep it down, he has to die with it... It is that spur of the moment anger or frustration that pushes him to do that act of violence.
2. If MK Gandhi had thought Ahimsa is an useless tool, today he would not have become mahathma......What he has shown to the whole world is something which was not even thought of...
We can keep Quoting so many examples and can keep countering it. But at the end of the day the bottom line is: The person should have belief in himself and then practice that love and unconditional love without any expectation will yield result.

Veda

Hi
I Agree Abt power of love but what we need more in todays world is
self decipline sense of duty ,respect of others right & justice.
Yesterdy only we saw on TV the mob At Agra burning property of crores of rs of persons having no actual role in the accedent .We saw on TV people runing like MAD & throwing stones,petrol bum & all . Where love has gone? Could any body walk in front of them without getting hurt to check the power of love? The people participating in this riot were not terrrist but simple people like us.Why then this much violence?
True Gandhiji was one of the greatest Man born on Earth but than the foundation of AZaDI was laid by AZAD,BHAGATSINGH ,SUKHDEO ,SUBHASH & so many like them & all the unknown HEROES of 1857 GADER without whom we cant think of AZADI.
Today Hate Generates hate but love not necessarliy genrates love.

Veda,

I have not heard this one,but a super one.And how true.Would love more of these.

Regards.kamal