Friends are asking me to post examples of enlightened leadership from the Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic that is freakily relevant for our times.
The first thing I’d like to share is Rama’s response to a refugee crisis. At this point in the epic, he is about to fight Ravana, the demon king, who not only terrorizes the people but has stolen Rama’s devoted wife Sita. Suddenly, Vibhishina, the brother of the demon king, appears in Rama’s camp seeking refuge.
Although his brother Ravana is a demon, Vibhishina is a high-souled being who has tried to stop his brother from his destructive ways, and has been driven from his own kingdom for speaking up. He has nowhere else to go, plus he wants to help Rama and fight on the side of truth. When Rama consults his ministers, all but the wise Hanuman advise Rama to kill Vibhishana before he kills them.
Here is Rama’s enlightened and infinitely compassionate response:
“To be true to Dharma [natural law],
to be kind,
to be the knower of truth,
you must give shelter
to one who begs for mercy—
even your own enemy.
Protect him with all your power,
even with your life.
If you do not show mercy,
but allow the one to die
who has thrown himself
at your feet,
then with death he takes
all your good deeds,
leaving behind only
a stony heart.
Thus will I welcome Vibhishina,
thus would I welcome even Ravana,
thus do I welcome all
who seek refuge in me.
This reminds me of the movie Hakshaw Ridge. It’s the extraordinary true story of conscientious objector Desmond T. Doss who saved 75 men in Okinawa, during the bloodiest battle of WWII, without firing a single shot. Believing that the war was just but killing was nevertheless wrong, he was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon. As an army medic Doss single-handedly evacuated the wounded near enemy lines – braving enemy fire and putting his own life on the line. He was the first conscientious objector to ever win the Congressional Medal of Honor. Apparently he also saved the lives of his enemies.