Dharma

In the preface of The Bhagavad Gita on page xxvi, Eknath Easwaran describes a story where a sage reaches to save a scorpion that has fallen in the water and in return is stung. Again, the sage sees the same event taking place and saves the scorpion once more to be stung. A bystander is confused by his actions. “Don’t you see that the wretched creature will only sting you in return?" (Easwaran xxvi). The sage replies "It is the dharma of a scorpion is to sting and the dharma of a human is to save,"(Easwaran xxvi). I think most people can relate to this story. For example, you save a cat from a tree, it scratches you, then the next day you find it in the same tree, you save it again and one more you receive a scratch in return.  This is natural, dharma “the essential order of things..." (Easwaran xxvi). I think according to the Hindu religion, we would feel the need to save because of our attachments, the belief in our delusion, and we naturally care about others. “An ancient Sanskrit epigram states, Ahimsa paramo dharma: the highest dharma is ahimsa, nonviolence, universal love for all living creatures…” (Easwaran xxvi).  The scorpion does what it is supposed to do, its dharma. It doesn’t realize that it is going to be saved just that it is in trouble now and it is the same with the cat. We would not give up on the scorpion or cat because it wouldn’t be right to watch it suffer if we can help. This example could possibly be extended to people who we keep saving from danger but he or she keeps going back for more. I wonder if they have a similar dharma to the scorpion