Jailer

Author(s): Abhayshekharsuri, Sujata P Kapadia
Publisher: Harshadray Private Limited

Page 84

proper and that if we do not want a punishment, the only remedy is to stop committing crimes/sins?
Let us move forward to our original subject. Let us discuss for how long and to what extent should one bear someone's unending harassment. The daughter says, “I am suffering at the hands of my mother-in-law for two years. How much longer do I have to bear it? For an answer to this question, let us also remember the prisoner. Till when should he suffer the misery of punishment? Till his punishment is not over.” On being sentenced for ten years by the court, the prisoner says, “My Lord! Not ten years. I refuse to take that long a punishment. Reduce it to two years.” Will the court accept the prisoner's plea?
Is the sentence based on a prisoner's wish or the extent of his crime? Similarly, should all miseries and oppression that come our way be based on our wishes or our wrong-doing?
A person, who does not want ‘any suffering, should refrain from committing any sins at any cost. Sometimes it might be difficult to stop ourselves from sinning, however hard we try. Then one has to be prepared to take the punishment. If one wants the punishment to be limited, one also has to draw a boundary on committing sins. We do not want to restrict our crimes. We want to keep perpetrating the crimes, but we want our punishment to be confined. This is not justice.
“For how many years have you been watching T.V.? Do you plan to ever stop watching it? You have watched many a serials, matches, all the scintillating news. Can you give these up?"