A wise man from India was walking along the Ganges River with his disciple, when suddenly he noticed a drowning scorpion. He reached down with his bare hand and safely brought the little animal ashore. At that moment, the scorpion stung him. They say it causes terrible pain. The wise man’s hand began to swell. As soon as he put him down on the ground, the scorpion slowly made its way back to the water again. Although his hand was terribly swollen and he was in severe pain, he once again took the scorpion out of the water. His disciple simply observed. The third time he removed the scorpion from the water with his hand extremely swollen and in terrible pain, he placed him further away from the river’s edge. By then the disciple could no longer bear to see this go on and said: “Master, I don’t understand. It’s the third time that you’ve removed this animal from the water and it stings your hand. You must be in awful pain.” And he, with the peaceful expression of those who know the secret of good, who have victoriously conquered the territory of love and renunciation of the heart, those who can envision heavenly truths, turned to his disciple and said, “My son, this animal’s nature is to sting, but mine is to save!”