Circle of Good Will - The World Teacher Trust

A Valiant Defence of Those who are UnjustlyAttackedThis is an aspect of self-sacrifice when required. Inthese days, when people try to save their skin, “a valiantdefence of those who are unjustly attacked” means,to think of saving someone, who is weak and who isunjustly attacked. It is only the weak people, who areattacked by the strong, all the time. That is the historyof humanity. The weak are attacked by the strong. Tostand by the weak, is not easy. If one stands by theweak, one is also attacked, but by doing so, one has theopening into the Golden Temple.Two stories come here. One is from Mahabharata.At the end of Mahabharata, the sons of light walkedtowards the north, ready to leave the body, when it falls.No food, no drink, just walking towards the north.Wherever the body falls, it falls. How much courageone should have to do that? So, the five brothers werefollowed by the wife of the first brother and also adog. As they were moving, after some days, the ladyfell. Some more days later, the fifth brother fell, thenthe fourth brother fell, then the third brother Arjunafell, and then the second brother fell. Finally the firstbrother and the dog kept walking, and nowhere theywere falling. It was many years since they took waterand food. You can imagine the power of their soul. So,the King of the Heavens was pleased and sent his Divinechariot with his charioteer. The Divine chariot came tothe earth. Then the charioteer invited the first brother,King Yudhishthira, to get into the chariot. The kinglooked at the dog and made a whistle so that the dogcould enter the chariot. The charioteer said, “No dogsin heaven. We only have Divine elephants and Divinehorses. Dogs are on Sirius, they are not in heaven. Sono dogs please.” Then the king said, “If the dog cannotcome, I will also not come. This dog is greater than allmy four brothers and my wife, and I don’t think it is anormal dog. As it is coming all through with me, I havea duty to protect it. It came with me. It came for me. Ihave to protect it. I don’t want the heaven, if you don’taccept this dog.” A valiant defence of the weak! Thecharioteer was perplexed. Then the dog appeared in theform of the Lord of Dharma and blessed Yudhishthirafor his Dharma of defending. You have to defend a justcause.One more story: Once a vulture was hunting for adove. The dove was a special dove and the vulture wasalso a very special vulture. The vulture was trying tocatch the dove and the dove was flying for its life. Thedove entered the palace of a king and landed on thelap of the king and said, “Save me!” The king said,“Yes, I will save you.” Then the vulture came throughthe window and said, “This dove is my food and you128 129