November 9

You Are Really Giving a Better Lesson

When Lord Jesus said, “If somebody slaps you on one cheek, show the other cheek also,” what did that mean? By showing the other cheek you are really giving the person a better lesson. You make that person feel ashamed of what he or she has done. If you return another slap, you are only beating his body. If you follow this advice of Jesus, you are beating the mind, the ego.

It takes more courage and strength to smile at a person who hates you than to hit back. It’s here that the idea of karma can be helpful. If somebody just comes and hits you for no reason, stop and think to yourself, “Probably this is my karma. I must have hit somebody sometime in the past and escaped from getting hit or being punished for it. Now this person is returning what I gave out.” Accept it. Certainly there’s no effect without a cause.

Nobody can come and hurt you if you are really that innocent. When somebody suddenly hits you, he or she is just giving you what you failed to receive from the other person to whom you gave something. You should thank that person: “You have helped me to purge this karma at last. Thank you so much.” At the same time you are teaching the person a lesson. So this is the best way to do it. Fighting is never going to stop another fight. Only love, not more hatred, will heal hatred.