Satguru B Veylanswami

Tirukural: “Why should those who rejoice when destiny brings them good moan when that same destiny decrees misfortune?”

Third principle — forgive the offender: Take as an example a teenage boy on the way home from school. One day a gang of boys teases him for being different in some way and beats him up. A common response is for the teenager to feel angry at the boys and harbour ill-feelings toward them for years. This is problematic. Unless he forgives them, he perpetuates the event in his own mind, long after it is over.

Gurudeva often told the story of when a man attacked Swami Sivananda, hitting him in the head with an axe during evening satsang at his Rishikesh ashram. Swamiji’s followers were outraged and angrily subdued the man. But Swami Sivananda responded with the opposite sentiment. He asked that the man not be punished or turned over to the police. The next day he met his attacker and gave him a train ticket home, several spiritual books and money. Swami said, “Thank you so much for being the instrument to bring this karma back to me.”

Tirukural: “If you return kindness for injuries received and forget both, those who harmed you will be punished by their own shame.”

Fourth principle — consider the consequences: Our actions are based upon an emotional reaction to what someone has done or said to us. The consequences of such actions are often not clearly and carefully thought about. For example, someone insults you, so you insult them back. This creates an endless cycle of being harmed and harming others. Gandhiji once said, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” — Beliefnet.com