Fire burns everything that comes into its contact. But the heat of anger of a person burns only himself. It you hit the earth by your hand; it’s only your hand that will suffer the pains. Your annoyance or irritation upon someone might disturb or hurt him, but it will certainly and firstly do more harm to you. Even if you feel justified in taking revenge against someone’s misdeeds and even if you are mightier and capable of retaliating, you should better forgive. Because, your anger and arrogance would be worse (for you also) than whatever wrong one might have done (to you). As you might have experienced on several occasions, if one controls the wrath and maintains mental stability, most disputes or problems could be resolved peacefully and give you the content of mind, which you are dying for.
So what if you take revenge against someone’s wrong against you? Every animal has this beastly instinct. Even a tiny ant can do that. Greater is the one who can forgive his enemies. Why don’t you learn, something form the earth? You dig it, plough it, but in return, it blesses you with crops, water, minerals and what not! Look at the piece of sugarcane! You cut it, press it, chew it, but it reacts by filling your mouth with sweet juice.
Those who have harmed you or committed crime against you are coward, weak, ignorant, because only those having a dormant conscience can do so. Why should you belittle yourself by responding back at their level? It does not suit an intrepid warrior to use weapons against the blinds or the slept ones.
Your act of revenge might sometimes, give temporary ‘satisfaction’ to your ego, but the joy induced by your act of forgiving would last for long…
-Akhand Jyoti, Jan. 1943
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