Light of Nonviolence

Author(s): Sushilmuni
Publisher: Vishwa Ahimsa Sangh Delhi

Page 72

his teeth angrily. But when I smiled at him and showed no fear, anger, or violence, he became calm and he went off into the woods quietly.
Although I went back to the same place with bread a few more times, the black monkey did not reappear. And I began to think about the experience.
I asked myself: Why was the black monkey so thankless and ungrateful for the food that I gave him for ten days? Was it merely his nature to take and not see beyond his own selfish desires? Yes, this was one conclusion that I could make.
Also, when the black monkey did not get his way, he became very upset. He was close to war. He could only feel his greed and attachment to the bread. He could not tolerate being disappointed. And he had no caring about the hunger and appetites of the other monkeys.
I have thought often about this experience and others that I have had with monkeys. I cannot help but think of parallels that I sometimes see in the behavior of human beings. We must learn to rise above our greed and ingratitude if we are not to act like monkeys.
There are many people in the world who are very hungry and sick and we should give them food, clothing, medicine, and other necessities. But if we act as the black monkey does, we will not find peace, and the world will become more dangerous, selfish, and violent. The black monkey's way is not the way of nonviolence yet it teaches us what we must
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