Unkindness is a gift
no one wants to receive,
yet many are eager to give.
Being unkind teaches nothing;
through unkindness, we harm,
we challenge a person.
Through kindness, you charm—
you change a person.
No society, no organization
has ever truly tried kindness.
Even places of worship,
kindness remains only in theory,
for they were never kind
to one another.
Yet, in the spiritual world,
examples abound—
Krishna and Sudama*,
Bhakta Prahlad*,
Satyakam Jabala*,
Yudhishthira*, who refused
to enter heaven without
his faithful companion,
a stray dog.
You have the parable
of the Good Samaritan*,
the merciful Joseph
forgiving his brothers*,
Tabitha’s charity*,
and Jesus with the woman
caught in adultery*.
…I know, I know—
the readers grow weary
of such theoretical talk.
What stirs in their minds
is that wide, untried distance
between theory and practice.
Yet if ever they dared
to harness it,
the world would become
a space of solace.
Sudama, a poor Brahmin,
traveled to see his childhood friend, Lord Krishna, who was now the wealthy
king of Dwarka. With nothing to offer but a handful of puffed rice given to him
by his wife, Sudama was hesitant to seek help. However, Krishna greeted him with
immense love, honoring their old friendship over their new differences in
status. Krishna took the meager offering and relished it.
Young Prahlad was a devout worshipper of Lord
Vishnu, but his father, the demon king Hiranyakashipu, hated Vishnu and
demanded worship for himself. Despite repeated torture and threats, Prahlad
never lost his faith or his kind nature, insisting that Vishnu resided
everywhere, including in his father. When Hiranyakashipu threatened to kill his
son, Prahlad responded with unwavering calm.
A young boy named Satyakam Jabala was eager to become a
student of a respected sage. However, at the time, only those of the priestly
Brahmin class could become spiritual students, and they had to state their
father's lineage (gotra). When asked for his gotra, Satyakam truthfully
told the sage that his mother, Jabala, did not know his lineage as she had been
a servant who "wandered a lot" in her youth.
Yudhishthira's
devotion to the dog was the final test of his righteous character. The dog was
revealed to be Dharma, the personification of righteousness, who had come to
test him. This act of unconditional kindness proved Yudhishthira's purity of
heart and earned him entry into heaven. It serves as a reminder that compassion
should be shown to all living beings, not just those who can offer a reward.
The Parable of the
Good Samaritan This story, told
by Jesus, features a Samaritan—a person typically despised by the Jewish
people—who stops to help a Jewish man who was robbed, beaten, and left for
dead. The Samaritan's radical kindness and selfless compassion stand in stark
contrast to the religious leaders who passed by, illustrating that mercy and
love should be shown to all, regardless of background.
Joseph forgiving his
brothers After Joseph's
brothers sold him into slavery, he rose to become a powerful ruler in Egypt.
When his brothers later came to Egypt seeking food during a famine, Joseph had
the power to punish them. Instead, he forgave them, revealing himself and
saving his entire family from starvation. His kindness, born from his faith,
changed their lives and secured the future of his people.
Dorcas's charity Described in the
book of Acts, Dorcas (also called Tabitha)
was a woman "full of good works and acts of charity" who was known
for making clothes for the poor and widows. Her death caused immense grief in
her community. In response to their pleading, the Apostle Peter was moved to
resurrect her, demonstrating that her genuine kindness had a powerful impact on
those around her and brought the community together.
Jesus and the woman
caught in adultery When a woman was
brought before Jesus by religious leaders who intended to stone her, Jesus
intervened with unusual kindness. By writing on the ground and challenging her
accusers with the words, "Let him who is without sin among you be the
first to throw a stone at her," he dismantled their self-righteousness.
His action, and subsequent forgiveness toward the woman, saved her life and taught
a profound lesson about grace.
[Source: Wikipedia]
