Sri Sai Baba`S:Charters And Sayings

594' TALKS ON (< AT THE FEET OF THE MASTER "

hundreds of years, it must necessarily be a good
thjng or a necessary thing; because very often it
is not. • %

Take the idea of punishment. * First of all, from
beginning to end, the whole thing is unnecessary.
The laws of Nature will see to it. If anyone does
wr6ng, the laws of karma will attend to that, and the
laws cannot make a mistake; whereas human beings
very often commit a frightful legal injustice; it has
been done again and again. In such cases, penalties
have been imposed upon people who happen to be
innocent. The great law of Nature never makes that
mistake. What the man does recoils upon himself
and not upon anybody else. Of course Society must
defend itself. It must defend itself against a man
who habitually steals ; it must defend itself against a
man who would commit murder; and therefore
certain rights Society must have. It has always the
right to banish. Your community might reasonably
say to some habitual criminal, as they used to say to
such people in Peru; "We are1 a civilised race.
With great trouble we have arranged our State upon
a certain scheme, and it is intended for people who
will keep its laws. If you do not intend to keep the
laws, go out and live with some one else.'' It v/as the
only punishment, and to be cast out to live among
the barbarian tribes was the greatest disgrace as
well as being exceedingly uncomfortable. Spciety has
that much right. It has the right to restrain a