Grandma Guilty of stealing but ......

[bambi]

Below is such a touching story I felt like sharing. Although what the granny did was wrong but she did it for the love of someone she loves. And the judge although bound by his duties, did something out of the ordinary and compassion for the granny. I love to read stories like this because it will always remind me that there are people who are kind and compassionate out there. And most of all, they inspire me to become better in many many ways...






An Indonesian judge by the name of Marzuki was sitting in judgment of an old lady who pleaded guilty of stealing some tapioca from a plantation. In her defense, she pleaded to the judge that she was done the deed because she was poor and her son was sick while her grandchild was hungry. The plantation manager insisted that she be punished as a deterrent to others.

The judge going through the documents then look up and said to the old lady, “I’m sorry but I cannot make any exception to the law and you must be punished.” The old lady was fined Rp. 1 million (USD 100) and if she could not pay the fine then she will be jailed for 2 and a half years as demanded by the law. She wept as she could not pay the fine.

The judge then took off his hat and put in Rp. 1 million into the hat and said “In the name of justice, I fined all who are in the court Rp. 50 thousand (USD 5.50) as dwellers of this city and letting a child to starve until her grandmother have to steal to feed her grandchild. The  registrar will now collect the fines from all the accused.”
The court managed to collect Rp 3.5 million (USD 200) whereby once the fine was paid off, the rest was given to the old lady … .including the fine collected from the plantation manager.

[buddhalovely]

About Being Humane Rather Than Merely Being Human

Living in a community where transgression act is rampant, pitting humane and caring people against people who are not man, or out to use others for self- gratification. There are two types of people:

(1) humane (having compassion)

(2) sub-human (not rising to the meaning of the words, homo sapiens (wise man))

As an example of a sub-human individual, we have put emphasis on material wellbeing and profit-margin first. I would call this essentially a sub-human or inhumane act. Putting money before people is not humane.

This is a far-reaching problem in materialistic society – as we all know that industry and profit has taken precedence over humanity on many levels. Industry feeds profits that feed on human vulnerability…on human labour and on human needs. This situation is essentially inhumane as the world is lacking compassion for the weak and vulnerable.

There are people who are concerned, through humanness, the caring about of the hardships, well-being, and needs of others, and putting those needs before personal profits. These are people who are doing something to help others.

[Tenzin K]

Compassion is a uniquely human quality. Compassion is made up of two words, 'co' meaning together and 'passion' meaning a strong feeling. And this is what compassion is. When we see someone in distress and we feel their pain as if it were our own, and strive to eliminate or lessen their pain, then this is compassion. So all the best in human beings, all the Buddha-like qualities like sharing, readiness to give comfort, sympathy, concern and caring - all are manifestations of compassion. You will notice also that in the compassionate person, care and love towards others has its origins in care and love for oneself. We can really understand others when we really understand ourselves. We will know what's best for others when we know what's best for ourselves. We can feel for others when we feel for ourselves. So in Buddhism, one's own spiritual development blossoms quite naturally into concern for the welfare of others. The Buddha's life illustrates this very well. He spent six years struggling for his own welfare, after which, he was able to be of benefit to the whole of mankind.

[Jessie Fong]

What would you do if you were placed in this situation and you face poverty, sickness and hunger?  Yes Grandma was wrong in the eye of the law but we can clearly see that she placed her loved ones first and above anything else.

I salute the judge for his duties and taking it upon himself personally to help poor Grandma.  Yes, to the majority of us USD100 is less than our weekly wages but in a poor country like Indonesia, that is more than enough to feed a family for one whole month.

[kris]

Our world has "degenerated" so much... issues like these will continue to pop up more and more often. This is what happened when we grow up without spirituality and we are only guided by secular laws.

In  secular laws, we will only be punished if we commit a crime AND when we are caught. When people are generally like that, they will not be discipline and care much for others. It was once said that the secular laws created more problems than solving.

There is another saying too: building 1 temple is better and more important than building 100 police stations. Temple is proactive but police stations are reactive. When people receive teachings of compassion, karma, patience, etc. they are likely to be less crime.

[Positive Change]

Being devil's advocate... I find stealing is stealing regardless the reasons. The plantation manager is right in the sense, if one does not put one's foot down with regards to stealing. If the message is sent out that it is right to steal when you are hungry or poor, there will be pandemonium!

If one sets one's ego aside and really think about the karma one is going through being poor and hungry, one would realize that stealing to feed those "delusions" does not make it any better. In fact one adds to the negative karma. However if one accepts one's "condition" and acts upon it... working harder or going out to beg for food even. That in itself is lowering of one'e ego in order to help others. That would be a better thing to do than to steal and create more negative karma.

Hence, the reason why we feel bad for the grandma is because of our own guilt and that is why the judge did what she did and nobody in the courtroom disagreed with her decision. If we all practiced compassion, there would not be a hungry or poor person on this planet. Unfortunately, we are far from that goal and thus our spiritual practice is the only saving grace for this degenerate age. And for those of us who are blessed enough to have our King's practice... think of it as a gold nugget in the middle of a desert!

[dondrup]

The old lady had pleaded guilty of stealing because deep down inside her she realised that it is utterly wrong to steal.  We can understand that due to the desperate condition, the old lady had no choice but to steal out of love for her son and grandson. The judge is kind and compassionate to have helped the accused.  Even the plantation manager had contributed to the fines collected!  The World will be a better place if everyone can practise kindness and compassion like the judge; love like the old lady; and forgiveness like the plantation manager, but not stealing!

[hope rainbow]

Doesn't it feel like good to hear justice, compassion, intelligence and good-sense coming from the mouth of a judge?
He did not resign from his duties as a judge and he did not resign from his responsibility as a human neither.
He applied intelligence and also made everyone responsible.
I think this judge did a greet job indeed, and I hope this grand-ma will not have to revert to stealing ever again.

[sonamdhargey]

Thanks for the post. It is a very inspiring story. What the judge did was not normally a judge will do. However stealing is stealing. Whatever the reason is it is still stealing. On the part of the plantation manager, knowing the old lady is poor and needed food to feed the grandchild, should instead offer help or asisitance to the old lady as the old lady was desperate.

A simple action of good deed goes a long way of good deed. Giving the old lady a chance and offering help to her will make a huge difference in the outcome of the whole situation. I wonder if we were in the same position, what will we do? Would we do the same? Would we follow the book or otherwise?

[Tammy]

Great judge! He didn't discharge his duty purely as a judge but he took into consideration the circumstances of the case and fully understand the motivation of the poor grandma.

This world would be a much better place if we have more kind and wise people like this judge.

[vajratruth]

Thank you for sharing a heart warming story.  Is it a true story? I hope so because this is one story that should be compulsory reading in all schools.

I cannot help but marvel at the judge's wisdom. I am not sure if there is any law in country that fines its citizens for neglecting the welfare of other fellow citizens BUT there should be. Courts all over the world are camped with judges, lawyers, law-makers and law-keepers and all but one judge in Indonesia forgot to uphold the most basic moral law that protects own our humanity. So much money is spend daily in courts of law globally with people fighting to be right and fighting to keep and preserve what they would surely end up losing anyway. In the process of the legal system, law may be the name of the game but often not Justice that is being practiced and upheld.

In being the first to pay the fine, the Indonesian Judge essentially incriminates all of society and this is not only brilliant, it is compassionate and also very wise. Even the plantation manager is fined and here we see the brilliant wheel of sharp weapons at work.

As for Positive Change's opinion...I respect it but I have to say, when we are hungry, we are hungry. Debates is only wonderful and entertaining when we have full stomachs. I do note that the grandmother's motivation was pure and it was to preserve lives. Sure, there is bad karma in stealing but would it not be matched by the good karma in not wanting to see her family suffer? The result of the verdict would indicate yes.

It is a real pity the plantation manager did not seize on the opportunity to practice compassion and gave food to the entire family. What a silly man who is lighter in his pocket and heavier in his heart now.

[bambi]

In this time and degeneration, there are so many sad and heart breaking stories. It makes me feel sad whenever I read them in the news.  Murders, rapes, wars, suicides and many other heart breaking news BUT to read a story like this lifts me up. Its because that, among all the sad stories, there are happy stories and knowing that there are kind and caring people in the world. Can't blame the plantation manager though, it is the person's duty to do so and we can't blame. At least, there was a donation. Pray that the karma of the old lady be better in future lives and she don't have to go through such sadness and pain.

[ratanasutra]

Even in the bad situation like this there are still kindness and compassion there. The judge is very wise, he did not break the law but with his intelligent, he made the situation turn around and the grandma got some money to feed her grandchild and cure her son.

There are always chance for us to practice kindness and compassion out there, but must use it in the right way like the judge then it can benefit others.

Thanks bambi for an inspire story..

[pgdharma]

Out of desperation the old lady had to steal. She stole not because she was greedy, but because her son was sick and her grandchild hungry. Her love for her son and grandchild made her steal. I salute the judge who did the right thing and took the responsibility to personally help the old lady. It is a shame that the plantation manager insisted that the old lady must be punished when he should in fact offer help to the old lady. Thanks to the wise judge a bad situation turned out to be good and happy.

[vajrastorm]

 Thank you for this heartwarming story, Bambi. This being a true story will inspire others to show more care and concern for those around us. I rejoice at the wisdom and compassion shown by the judge. He didn't have to bend the law even. Instead, he skillfully engaged everyone present in court in practicing 'giving'(one of the six Perfections) to the poor old lady and her family. He must surely have awakened their social conscience.

As for the plantation manager,in the first place , he should have understood why the old grandmother was driven to stealing some tapioca. He could have graciously given them to her.He sounds like a person who doesn't even have a drop of the "milk of human kindness". I've heard the story of how a kind monk had caught a thief stealing some sacred valuable items from the temple. He made the sweet compassionate gesture of 'giving' these items to the thief(instead), so as to turn the negative act around. He understood that it was the need for money to buy necessities like food, that had driven the poor ignorant man to stealing sacred items from the temple. This story cannot be replicated or taken out of context though! And , I think, on the side of the thief, it was still a karmically negative action, and ,  perhaps a heavy one too.