Both Friend and Foe the Saints Adore

Tell me a story...

There was a monastery in a certain place. The monks residing there went out daily to beg their food. One day a monk, while out for his alms, saw a landlord beating a man mercilessly. The compassionate monk stepped in and asked the landlord to stop. But the landlord was filled with anger and turned his wrath against the innocent monk. He beat the monk till he fell unconscious on the ground. Someone reported the matter to the monastery. The monks ran to the spot and found their brother lying there. Four or five of them carried him back and laid him on a bed. He was still unconscious. The other monks sat around him sad at heart; some were fanning him. Finally someone suggested that he should be given a little milk to drink. When it was poured into his mouth he regained consciousness. He opened his eye and looked around. One of the monks said, "Let us see whether he is fully conscious. and can recognise us." Shouting into his ear, he said, "Revered sir, who is giving you milk?" "Brother," replied the holy man in a low voice, "he who beat me is now giving me milk."

“Both Friend and Foe the Saints Adore.” Sri Ramakrishna Math. Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna. Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, ©1947. pp. 201-202.
Used with the permission of Sri Ramakrishna Math. www.sriramakrishnamath.org