Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Speaking Tree Website | October 20, 2014

In the Delhi zoo there is a white tiger called Vijay. The white tiger is a large powerful carnivorous animal. According to zoo officials the tiger Vijay is known to be a very gentle animal and has never been aggressive. On September 23, 2014 a group of boys went very close to the tiger's enclosure and started behaving in an unruly manner by throwing stones at it. One of the boys jumped over the iron railing and entered the tiger's enclosure. The tiger watched the boy silently for fifteen minutes. What possibly provoked the tiger to attack the man was when the onlookers tried to divert its attention by pelting stones at it. Then the tiger pounced on the youth with his paw and killed him. It then dropped the dead body at the far end of its enclosure.

This incident is not only a story of a tiger, but rather it is the story of life. The tiger or any other animal is not intrinsically aggressive. By nature every animal is peaceful. Animals attack only when they are provoked. Even when the animal is provoked, it attacks not out of anger but for self-defence. An animal is indifferent to the happenings around it as long as it does not sense danger. However, when it feels threatened, it attacks in order to defend itself.

The same is true for humans. A human being is also an animal: he possesses all those traits which animals have. Man, too, does not attack merely for the sake of attacking. When a person attacks, he does so for his defence. If a person is not provoked, he remains normal. Thus, if you want to save yourself from others' violence, then follow this principle: Don't provoke anyone. In other words, it means refrain from hurting a person's ego. One who sedulously adheres to this principle will never have to complain of violence from others. Violence breeds violence and peace breeds peace. This is the simple formula of life.