What is Joyful #Revenge? Do we Justify Desire for Revenge?
Ask yourself very honestly how many times in your life did you feel joy, even a slight trace of it, when something negative happened with someone who had harmed you or hurt you or insulted you in any way in the past. When this kind of joy, which is an impure form of joy, is seen inside you, even if it is at your extremely subtle thought level (if not in your words or actions), you need to remember that this is nothing but a feeling of subtle revenge. It may not sound very nice, but this kind of joy is enjoying the pain of others and is obviously an extremely low grade form of joy. Sometimes, as a way of justifying our joyful revenge, we call it justice.
An extract from #Rajputana Chronicles: #GunsandGlories:
In 1605 AD, the Emperor Akbar died. On the accession of #Jahangir as #Emperor of India, Raja Rai Singh went to #Delhi. He also called on ailing #KaramChand #Bachhawat to wish him good health and apologise for the past. He also expressed his condolences on demise of Akbar and wept profusely in front of Karam Chand.
After Raja Rai Singh went away, Karam Chand called his sons, Bhag Chand and Lakshmi Chand. He praised Raja Rai Singh but at the same time cautioned them that these were crocodile tears and not of love and affection. “Raja Rai Singh is happy that I shall shortly pass away and regretted that he was unable to take revenge of the past. My dear children! Don’t you make a mistake of ever returning to Bikaner”, said Dewan Karam Chand. He passed away at Delhi after Emperor Akbar’s death between 1605 and 1607.
The driving energy or fuel behind this kind of revenge is hatred or anger. It is a feeling of: I really enjoyed it when what they had done to me came to them – I was so happy to see them suffer for what they had done, this is their punishment … tit for tat.
It is a type of joy that only increases our accounts of negative karmas with the other person, which as a result, increases our sorrow, instead of decreasing it, although it may give us an impression for a while that it is decreasing our sorrow.
Imagine someone meeting with an accident on the road and in a lot of pain and instead of helping that person immediately we smile at that person happy with what has happened to him or her. What energy will such a person send us in return?
This example is on a physical level, but the same principle applies on a subtle level. So the next time something like this happens in our life, we need to remind ourselves only if we don’t have the slightest trace of joy inside us that we can safely say that we are free from any desire for revenge, even though it may be very subtle.
To be accepting means to give a chance to the other person to change.
When someone makes a mistake there is usually a feeling of guilt and a lot of negative feelings. At such a time if there is understanding and love, it helps the other person bring about a change.
When I accept I am able to see what the other person is lacking and provide him with it. So I am actually giving the other person a chance to change. Also when I accept others and understand them, others too are able to accept me and love me as I am. I find my relationships becoming more and more beautiful.