Convert a foe into a friend by your goodwill
When you presume about
someone that he is your adversary, your prejudice against him, even if his
heart is free from the least tinge of antagonism to you, will lead him to sense
in your behaviour antagonism and ill-will towards him, which will be clearly
perceived by him. Discerning animosity and antagonism towards himself in your
behaviour his mind too will automatically conceive animosity and antagonism
towards you. This will in its turn lead you to discern animosity and antagonism
in his behaviour towards you.
Once you begins to perceive
animosity and antagonism in his behaviour your bias against him will get rooted
and you will positively come to regard him as your real enemy and the evil
treatment you accorded to him as quite justified. Coming to recognize him as your
enemy in this way, you will naturally begin to harm him and he too will start
paying you in your own coin. Your enmity with him will get deep-rooted and in
due course develop into full grown venomous tree.
Previously neither he was
your enemy nor there existed in his behaviour any animosity or antagonism
towards you. It was you who converted him into your enemy through your wrong
notion, and in this way you alone proved to be instrumental in doing an ill
turn to him as well as to your own self.
Even if you really have an
enemy, he is incapable of inflicting any injury upon you unless you are
destined to suffer. On the other hand, by nursing ill-will towards you he is
simply harming himself. Therefore, what you should do is to wish well him
rather than harbour antagonistic feeling towards him. If you do so, your
behaviour will naturally bear the stamp of good will towards him and will be
marked with an endeavour to do good will towards him and will be marked with an
endeavour to do good to him. As a result of this he will be able to perceive
his error and, giving up his antagonism, will turn into your friend and thus be
able to save himself from a grave injury. You will surely be a gainer yourself.
Be your mistaken notion and
ill-will you turn others into your enemies and by your goodwill you convert
even an enemy into a friend. He who bears a friendly attitude towards all is
not only a friend of all, but continues to get comfort and amenities as well as
help and co-operation from all by making them his friends without much effort.
On the other hand, he who incessantly harbours suspicion or antagonistic
feelings towards others renders their life as well as his own an abode of fear,
misgiving, apprehension and unhappiness by easily turning even friends into
foes.
No one is your enemy. Your
wanton senses, your unsubdued mind and your perverted reason alone are your
enemies.
- Convert a foe into a friend by your goodwill