Resist Not Evil

‘Resist not evil’ is a great, valuable and powerful saying of Jesus Christ. The life and death of Jesus of Nazareth depicts this great saying. Jesus Christ underwent all the sufferings caused to him. He was betrayed by one of his followers after the last dinner. Jesus had already revealed this to all the Apostles who dined with him. Jesus was punished and crucified due to the betrayal of his disciple. Jesus never cried or uttered bad or evil words. He sympathized for those who have done such mean things. Jesus was sent by God to teach people the truth. Bring peace and harmony to make people more tolerant more patient to not to rebel and fight with each other for petty things. Jesus enabled them to love each other through the saying “Love the neighbour as themselves”. As He was sent by God as a Messiah to redeem the people from their sins, He didn’t resist evil. He tolerated the scandals, attacks, tortures and finally the crucifixion. The life of Jesus Christ and His sayings and preaching ascertain that He did not resist evil.

Before Christ was born Lord Krishna Avatar has come to bring peace and harmony and to establish righteousness. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna expressed to Arjuna that do your work and do not expect benefits. This again has another meaning which is ‘face whatever comes to you’. ‘As a king you have to perform your duties’. ‘You cannot avoid them’. ‘Do not expect any result or consequences’. ‘You perform it as your duty’. When one has no revenge and avenge then they will just be an observer while performing his duties. So Bhagavad Gita too emphasized not to resist evil.

“யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர்

தீதும் நன்றும் பிறர்தர வாரா

நோதலும் தணிதலும் அவற்றோ ரன்ன”

In the sangam age, in Puranaanuru Kaniyan Poonkundranar had sung the above which in essence is resist not evil as ‘all the villages are our village’. ‘All are our kith and kin. ‘Good and bad are not done by others and even troubles and solutions are not given by others’.

Thus, the pandits, great scholars, saints, Rishis, and the Avatars have expressed the truth that we should not blame others for the good and bad things that we encounter in our life. We encounter a lot of problems at home. One member or the other in the family is ether sick, suffering from illness, unhappiness, depression, not contented, or suffer from aging. Every member in the family ,the parents or children or grandparents lament about their problems or supress them in their mind. We all thus think that we encounter all these problems due to the other member in the family. When this negative feeling grows all the members in the family are directly or indirectly affected. The families, societies, communities, countries and states and the Globe as a whole is thus dipped in negative and ill feelings.

The cause for a thought is spelled out and which ends in deeds. Good thoughts bring good. At the same time bad thoughts lead to theft, burglary, drug addiction, killing, rape, murdering and misusing arms and ammunition.

The world is polluted not very much by material things. Instead it is polluted by our thoughts, words and deeds by resisting evil. Each individual imagines that others are hurting them and damaging them. It is not so. According to the great saying ‘what we do in the previous birth is collected as good or bad harvest in this birth’. It is we who have sawn the seeds of past deeds (Karma) and suffering or enjoying in this life. Therefore, in order to lead a happy, peaceful life in this birth and in other births we have to ‘resist not evil’.

Bavvatharani Ravindran

Nallur

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