Once, a student was caught stealing in an ashram by his fellow students. They reported him to the monk. Surprisingly, the monk took no action. A few days later, the same boy was again caught stealing. Again, the monk did nothing. The other students became very angry. They wanted the boy who committed the theft to be dismissed. They also threatened to leave the village if that boy was allowed to stay. The monk called the students. He said, “I understand your anger. You all are good, and know what is right and what is wrong. If you leave this school, you will have no trouble in joining another school. But what about this boy who does not even know the difference between right and wrong? Who will teach him if I don’t?” The boy was overwhelmed by these words. He never stole again.
Moral: Understanding is important before punishing.
