Lord Mahavir taught us forgiveness. Bhagvan Buddha taught us compassion. A classic example of forgiveness and compassion, the story of “The Bishop’s Candlesticks” from “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo comes to my mind. There is an incident which has left a deep everlasting impression on me. Briefly the story is like this.
Jean Valjeen is the main character of this book. He is released from prison after serving 19 years as a galley slave, a very torturous inhuman punishment. His crime was that he stole a loaf of bread for the starving kids of his sister; and made attempts to escape from prison. In the words of Victor Hugo, “The pecfduliarity of punishment of this kind, in which what is pitiless, that is to say, what is brutalising, predominates, is to transfer little by little, by slow stupefaction, a man into a criminal, sometimes into a wild beast.”
His misery did not end with his release. He was issued a yellow passport which branded him as a dangerous criminal. He was denied food and shelter. All inns and hotels turned him out, inspite of the fact that he was wanting to pay for the same. He had no place to go. When he had lost all hope, he was directed to go to Bishop M’s house.
Who was this Bishop M? He was a bishop who was known for his good-heartedness, and charity, his empathy and love for the poor. Bishop M, spent away most of his substantial allowance for the poor, himself leading a simple and frugal life. He lived with his sister.
Jean Valjeen knocked at the door of the Bishop late in the evening, hungry, tired, dirty and devoid of all hope. He was surprised when the Bishop received him like an honoured guest and treated him with dignity. The Bishop told him “You need not tell me who you are. This is not my house; it is the house of Christ… You are suffering. You are hungry and thirsty. Be welcome”. Jean Valjeen was stunned. For the first time in his life he was treated like a human being. The Bishop made him sit with him for dinner — on a well laid table. This was the first time in 19 years that Jean was served a decent meal. The food was served in silver plates, and the table was lit with candles in silver candlesticks. The silver plates and the silver candlesticks were the only valuables which the Bishop owned. Jean was also given a decent bed, next to the Bishop’s bed for his night’s rest. From wooden planks to a clean comfortable bed after 19 years!
But the hardened criminal within him made him restless. He decamped with the silver plates in the night.
In the morning when the theft was discovered, the Bishop’s sister lamented the sheltering of such a criminal. The Bishop was unperturbed.
Jean was caught with the silver plates and brought to the Bishop. The Bishop asked the police to release him and stated that the plates were not stolen, but gifted by him to Jean! He then addressed Jean and told him that even the silver candlesticks were gifted to him, which Jean forgot to take with him, and then handed over the candlesticks also to Jean! This completely changed the life of Jean Valjeen.
These things happen in real life too. Sir Prabhashankar Pattani was the Diwan of the erstwhile state of Bhavnagar. His jewellery was stolen. The culprit, a servant in his house was brought to him by the police. Pattani Saheb got the servant released and also gave him financial help. The servant returned the jewellery and took a vow to lead an honest life.
There is also an event in the life of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, a Hindu saint who revived the dying spirit of Hinduism. The King of Jodhpur became his devotee and started a pious life. The King broke off his relations with a dancing girl, who in order to take revenge bribed the cook of Swamiji to poison him. As he was dying in great agony Swamiji realised what had happened, called the cook and asked the cook to run away for his life to escape the wrath of the King of Jodhpur who would most certainly have killed the cook. Swamiji forgave his murderer and helped him to escape.
These are the instances of true forgiveness, true compassion, and true charity. May these help us to learn to be better human beings.
