The Story of the Snake and Buddha Once, there was a poisono
The Story of the Snake and Buddha
Once, there was a poisonous snake living near a village. It was so aggressive that whenever anyone passed by, the snake would frighten them or bite them.
People became afraid to use that road.
One day, Gautama Buddha was passing through the area with his disciples. The villagers told him about the dangerous snake.
Buddha went to the snake and calmly asked,
“Why do you hurt others?”
The snake replied,
“I am poisonous. People are afraid of me, so I bite them.”
Buddha said,
“Hurting others is not a sign of strength. You can protect yourself without harming anyone.”
The snake listened carefully and promised Buddha that it would never bite anyone again.
After some time, the villagers discovered that the snake no longer attacked anyone. The children began to tease it, throw stones at it, and sometimes even hit it.
The snake became weak and badly injured.
When Buddha passed that way again, he saw the injured snake and asked,
“What happened to you?”
The snake replied,
“You told me not to bite anyone, so I stopped biting. But now people hurt me because they know I will not bite them.”
Buddha smiled and said,
“I told you not to bite them. I never told you not to hiss.”
The snake understood Buddha’s lesson.
From then on, the snake never bit anyone without reason. But whenever someone tried to harm it, it would hiss loudly as a warning.
People learned that the snake was peaceful, but it was not helpless.
Moral of the Story
Be kind, but do not allow others to take advantage of your kindness.
Do not hurt others unnecessarily, but it is also okay to protect yourself and set boundaries when necessary.
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