The Hunter Who Became A Saint

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

Once upon a time a cruel hunter named Nishada marauded the jungles Of Bengal in India ruthlessly killing birds “just for fun.” Since in those days there was no hunting restrictions, he gleefully  littered the forest with dead and dying birds.

Those birds that managed to elude the gorgon gaze of Nishada’s guns became so intuitively wise that they could hear everything even the faintest sound of his approach and escape to safety. When Nishada found that he had so frightened the birds that he could no longer even approach them, he began shooting at random through the jungle foliage. But the wary winged ones kept out of his range, and Nishada, his cartridges spent, walked dejectedly on until finally he emerged from the jungle. The  site that greeted his vision there stirred fresh hope in his breast. An Orange robed Saint was  standing knee-deep in a nearby lake; many  kinds of game birds were perched trustfully on his head, shoulders, and hands, while others peacefully floated in a circle around him.

An idea suddenly flashed across the mind of the hunter: “ If I put on an orange robe every day and pose as a harmless saint, than I can create enough trust in the birds so that they will perch on me and swarm all around me then at my convenience, I can Club to death quite a few. In that way I can get even with the birds for flying away at the sight of me depriving me of the pleasure of killing them.”

So Nishada stood motionless behind a tree and watched the saint feed and then sing a sermon to his feathered audience - - just as Saint Francis of Assisi used to do. Awhile  later, after his bath in the lake, this peaceful devotee of the Lord of love started back to his Hermitage, while many bright-winged creatures circled above and called to him.

The next day the hunter, dressed in an orange robe, concealed several clubs, knives and guns on his person and calmly walked into the lake. To his great glee, the very same game birds who used to fly away at the site of him now fearlessly perched all over his body and swarmed around him like little children.He could scarcely believe his eyes.

He was happy beyond dreams but every time he made up his mind to pounce on the birds and strangle them, he found he couldn’t do it. He didn’t have the heart to betray the innocent birds who so confidently sought shelter with him.

Then Nishada Began to reflect: I have been a malicious hunter, feared and shunned by the birds, but behold the magic of the orange of a saint  covers a wolf in sheep’s clothing, has never the less led the birds to trust even my hateful self. If the outer garb of a saint can create so much trust and confidence even in birds, how much  wholesome influence and trust a real saint, plus the orange robe, could exert in people!”

Thinking this, the hunter threw away his clubs, knives, and guns into the water and walked away determined to become a real Saint. The  faithful birds, who followed him as long as they could, finally reluctantly departed.

This Hunter Saint was known to wade daily in the lake, Feeding the birds and singing to them. He made so many friends that all the watery seats of the lake were occupied by his audience of feathery folk. He was happy to see the difference between the life of a hunter and that of a saint. After making friends with birds, he became a great teacher who attracted all kinds of human friends as well. Then he served lovingly and long with the song of truth welling  from the depths of his heart.

We have seen that the wicked Nishada, even though he did begin merely by cloaking himself in the garb of goodness, ultimately became good. Do not forget that even though you cannot overcome all your inner weakness all at once, it is all right for you to wear the garb of goodness if you are really sincerely trying to be good. It is better to imitate goodness then to imitate wickedness. Even a person who only imitates good actions gets a chance to smell the luring fragrance of goodness;  whereas one who even hypocritically imitates evil, contacts the contaminating polecat odor of evil. Of course, to deliberately try to deceive people is a great blasphemy against God and yourself but if you are sincerely trying to improve yourself, do not be disturbed if people call you a hypocrite just because a few of your failings  have been discovered.

We should not expect too much from anyone, nor should we always expect perfect results even from one who consistently does his best. Even if one falls down from the grace of goodness, he is safe if he tries his utmost to again become good. Such people are far better than those who pretend to be good in order to deceive others. Why should those who are trying to improve, even if they make mistakes, be labeled as hypocrites?

Just not, that ye not be judged (Matthew 7:11). To  label anyone as bad as a hypocrite when he’s really doing his best in spite of his failings is a great blasphemy against God. The Lord not only rejoices when His  good children come back to his home of wisdom; gladens Him even more when is naughty, prodigal children return home to him from their truant wanderings. ~Paramahansa Yogananda ... Thanks to stories in the; Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons. Lesson #84.  https://www.yogananda-srf.org/tmp/meditation.aspx?id=132

[guest88]

nice one