FACE THE THREATS *
Jostling through the crowds of Varanasi -
Ancient, vibrant and ever noisy,
Vivekananda found at the end
A lonely path that seemed to blend.
With his solemn, pensive mood.
Longing for silence and solitude.
As he walked along the narrow path
Winding amidst lush green plants
Towards a sprawling, lovely lake,
A horde of monkeys, all red faced,
Sprang on him from a nearby branch.
Taken aback by their sudden attack,
He ran very fast, never turning back,
But the menacing beasts were at his heels
And one of them pulled his saffron gown
While the others growled and shrieked.
Shocked to see this frightful scene,
A holy man coming from the lake,
Shouted "Do not run; they will overtake.
Stand there, face the surly brutes."
Regaining his composure and lost balance,
Vivekananda stopped at once,
Held his ground and raised his hand.
Stupified and bewildered, the monkeys fled .
Thus awakened, he soon realised -
"When you are threatened by opponents,
Face them with courage and confidence,
Yet, without malice or vengeance.
To win life's battles, have grit and strength,
For, strength is life and fear, worse than death."
**********. M.G.Narasimha Murthy
Hyderabad, India
Jun 7, 2016
Jun 7, 2016 at 12:30 PM UTC
FACE THE THREATS *
Jostling through the crowds of Varanasi -
Ancient, vibrant and ever noisy,
Vivekananda found at the end
A lonely path that seemed to blend.
With his solemn, pensive mood.
Longing for silence and solitude.
As he walked along the narrow path
Winding amidst lush green plants
Towards a sprawling, lovely lake,
A horde of monkeys, all red faced,
Sprang on him from a nearby branch.
Taken aback by their sudden attack,
He ran very fast, never turning back,
But the menacing beasts were at his heels
And one of them pulled his saffron gown
While the others growled and shrieked.
Shocked to see this frightful scene,
A holy man coming from the lake,
Shouted "Do not run; they will overtake.
Stand there, face the surly brutes."
Regaining his composure and lost balance,
Vivekananda stopped at once,
Held his ground and raised his hand.
Stupified and bewildered, the monkeys fled .
Thus awakened, he soon realised -
"When you are threatened by opponents,
Face them with courage and confidence,
Yet, without malice or vengeance.
To win life's battles, have grit and strength,
For, strength is life and fear, worse than death."
**********. M.G.Narasimha Murthy
Hyderabad, India
* Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, founded the famous Ramakrishna Math in 1899. In his
most inspiring speech at the World Parliament of Religions at Chicago
in 1893, he emphasized the oneness of the essential teachings of all great religions and worked for the good of mankind. M.G.N.Murthy