"The Saint and Scorpion Story"
One day a sadhu went to the river to bathe.
There he noticed scorpion struggling in the water.
Scorpions cannot swim and the sadhu knew that if he did not save the scorpion, it would drown, therefore carefully picking up the scorpion, the sadhu rescued it from drowning and was just about to set it down gently on land when the scorpion stung his finger.
In pain the sadhu instinctively flung his hand and the scorpion went flying back into the river.
As soon as the sadhu regained his composure from the sting he again lifted the scorpion out of the water.
Again before he could set the scorpion safely on land, the creature stung him. This drama went on several minutes.
A hunter watched as the saint carefully and gingerly lifted the creature out of the water, only to fling it back in as he convulsed in pain from each fresh sting.
Finally, the hunter said to the sadhu, “Forgive me for my frankness, but it is clear that the scorpion going to continue to sting you each and every time you carry it to safety.
Why don’t you give up and just let it drown?”
The sadhu replied, “My dear child the scorpion is not stinging me out of malice or evil intent. Just as it is water’s nature to make me wet, so its scorpion’s nature to sting. He doesn’t realize that I am carrying him to safety. That is a level of conscious comprehensions greater than what his brain can achieve.
But just as it is the scorpion’s nature to sting. So it is my nature to save. Just as he is not leaving his nature, why should I leave my nature?
My dharma is to help any creature of any kind-human or animal.
Why should I let a small scorpion rob me of the divine nature which I cultivated through years of sadhana?
One day a sadhu went to the river to bathe.
There he noticed scorpion struggling in the water.
Scorpions cannot swim and the sadhu knew that if he did not save the scorpion, it would drown, therefore carefully picking up the scorpion, the sadhu rescued it from drowning and was just about to set it down gently on land when the scorpion stung his finger.
In pain the sadhu instinctively flung his hand and the scorpion went flying back into the river.
As soon as the sadhu regained his composure from the sting he again lifted the scorpion out of the water.
Again before he could set the scorpion safely on land, the creature stung him. This drama went on several minutes.
A hunter watched as the saint carefully and gingerly lifted the creature out of the water, only to fling it back in as he convulsed in pain from each fresh sting.
Finally, the hunter said to the sadhu, “Forgive me for my frankness, but it is clear that the scorpion going to continue to sting you each and every time you carry it to safety.
Why don’t you give up and just let it drown?”
The sadhu replied, “My dear child the scorpion is not stinging me out of malice or evil intent. Just as it is water’s nature to make me wet, so its scorpion’s nature to sting. He doesn’t realize that I am carrying him to safety. That is a level of conscious comprehensions greater than what his brain can achieve.
But just as it is the scorpion’s nature to sting. So it is my nature to save. Just as he is not leaving his nature, why should I leave my nature?
My dharma is to help any creature of any kind-human or animal.
Why should I let a small scorpion rob me of the divine nature which I cultivated through years of sadhana?
One of the beautiful stories.....
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