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GOOD FOR EVIL The King of Magadha was resting himself on a hot afternoon in the cool shade of a mango grove. A weary, traveller was trudging along the road that burnt the soles of his feet. Lifting up his head, he sighted the juicy mangoes dangling from the branches of the mango trees. He could not resist the temptation of sucking a juicy mango to slake his thirst. He threw a stone at the mellowing fruit, but unknowingly, he hit the king sitting under the tree.
"Who dares to hit me with a stone?" roared the king. His bodyguards ran out and within moments, ushered in the trembling wayfarer. The king was surprised to see this wretch of a man who had dared to hurl a stone at him..
Falling on his knees before the king, the man pleaded in a quaking voice, "Pardon me, My Lord. I did not see you sitting behind the hedge. I aimed a stone at the mango, but most unfortunately, it hit Your Majesty. Forgive me, Lord of the helpless, spare me my life!" i
The king' was always sympathetic towards the erring. He had acquired a compassionate attitude towards life from Bhagwan Mahavira and even his smallest deeds were coloured with that attitude.
He thought, “What a wonderful thing a tree is! It offers its shade to those that lop its boughs with the axe; it offers its fruit to those that hit it with stones.
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