6 ale Tad by Mice alk ovr the det quel. your ee coed, tome piace wher preferably nobody atete to observe yu" ad these ed the sage and hed out No soul wast ye atghere onthe fier bank. He closed his yes and, ical ugh stepped onto the wae Com nese scnatn to walk onthe ater He ran fr sonst Going tb at ave ome very coro the Sther shove, he opened Mo ye Teed few ore wept the he would be on the ty posed hn, What vas in the sn A th ey plc of ea He opened ta red Hitanm i, stata Could jun a Wie phrte—that 10 au tao wo dt Wher ning move sop he dropped the otiom of te Hie, 1 Nether and ated aga the st tage to ech he torent dad Some Sree fun hand idm tis ome took hin Fees ents strenghAndonk og time reale ae er had tft hm but he had fale the mind, pa nn og an ee ne re ae yore shard th the poe’ oh Ta Gute Bother mice certo ee eae ye ey of ach 3 one peo ‘erence Bl PLIES Tue SERPENT’s PREDICAMENT Coa treat ne et ite doh ho he sage aed sme people "i can bt we mage you ake wa do We all do date ep “Bit The meow lok quite snot nt “Uisamooth and tt feel cbr reo tamale he poplin ss “Thats aroma No eobra expected to make a hatte bing the inoced™ tered ge se, dee repeated wings y te people entered ie wen could se hc gia hod ad oking i teria, Bu the gene ym ch se thosepent The ob deny levee rk “You naughty one, wha de Jo gun from Ding the Inner pep ae blged chee meno te se tel cor, Thy ent your oe “They ae not anocent The momen hy se me they bik wpa o tes, Tht wae on Ie cs nT hare ered fae foe Fence ae” anol ecb Thee st down onde nian wid the ate wa cnet tone head how need ee Mappnen cit nergy igh He tah teat ofticnce dow tlre anton soald ad nc Cad wih vow amas pal athe He ates rare or aloo Tikes Tt by Moe “The cobra felt entranced. It promised never again to bite ‘a man and also promised to pase its me reflecting on the lulimate goal of lie. “The sage blessed the cobra and seacheld the village beyond the meadow. The anxious villagers enquired if he faced no threat from the cobra which was notorious for its violent “The cobra will no longer bea treat to anybody” the sige assured them, ‘After a couple of days’ stay in the village the sage left for this Ashram which was quite fa: He had no occasion to visit the tno villages on either side of the meadow for a ful yar ‘One day he arrived in that locality and, before announcing, his arival to any village, felt an urge to ind out how the cobra fared. Teas dusk and he called out tothe cobra several times, At last the serpent appeared before him hardly able {o eravi and with signs of injury all over its body. It looked the ghost of tel “God God, what brought tl Jhout 1 you?” queried the anxious sage ‘Your blessings, © holy one, and the change in my philosophy of life resulting from your great teaching,” answered the cobra sincerely ‘By and bythe sage received the full report ofthe villagers" conduct towards the cobra over the year. Since the villagers Teamt from the sige that the cobra would no longer be a rmenace to them, they braved into its presence, The cobra {id not even hiss. Emboldened by its pasviy, they began to Inurl pebbles andl sticks tit Since it did not react even then, they fond i fn to drag it by is eal © exhibit their power to strangers oF their kinsmen from other villages! ‘The cobra also told him how much peace it enjoyed despite its miseries, It felt an overwhelming compassion for all “Tears came to the sage’ eye. “My friend, ] asked you not to bite the passershy did [ever ask you not to hiss? Please The Spt’ Priament « revume rising your head and hissing. Your lowe for peace, the compassion you feel for etre te matter of your inner seit You teasure them within, outwardly do whatever is neces to protect youl a the age, ‘The serpent understood When the sage retired thre yet nother year ater, the wilagers complained to him that she cobra had grown ferocious agin “You deserve i” commented the sage WW Nonstsience base of Comcioumen tne wold wk Ehibenent inane to fed boas bee han ira be god