An Act of Kindness

Our story today is a tale by Aesop, from ancient Greece. It’s called, “Androcles and the Lion.” A Greek man named Androcles escaped from an unpleasant circumstance and ran into a forest. There, he encountered a fearful lion. What happens to this man? …The king was watching them the whole time from behind. He was totally flabbergasted. “How can this be? Why the lion isn’t eating you?” “Sire, this lion is my friend.” “I would never eat my savior! He was so kind to help me when everyone else was afraid.” The kind watched the two in amazement. He pondered the story for a while. His heart softened and changed his decision on the punishment. So you see, a random act of kindness might just save someone’s day or even their life. Supreme Master Ching Hai often shares the importance of doing good deeds and showing love unconditionally. “Every time after you do something unconditional, really unconditional without thinking of reward, just for the recipient’s benefit, you get a lot of immediate.” Like Androcles in the story, many young people today are also protectors and saviors of animals. You can take part with them! I hope the day will soon arrive, where we animals can walk alongside humans in peace and friendship.