Hypnosis and personal strength

To illustrate this principle, read the following story:

The snake that did not hiss
A vicious snake constantly terrorised the inhabitants of a small village near the Ganges. Whenever someone ventured beyond the village, the snake lunged at them. Every attempt to catch it failed, and the villagers lived in constant fear and tension.
One day, a wandering holy man came to the village. Sensing the tension and seeing the anxious faces, he asked what was troubling them.
‘Our lives are a misery because of a wicked snake that enjoys frightening us,’ said the village elder. ‘Please help us. We do not know what else to do.’
The holy man went into the jungle and found the snake basking in the sun beside its burrow. Recognising the visitor’s spiritual stature, the snake listened respectfully as he began to speak on behalf of the villagers.
‘It is wrong to keep people in fear,’ he said. ‘This is India, the land of Mahatma Gandhi and non-violence. You must change your behaviour. I will give you a mantra, a sacred word to meditate on, so that you can learn compassion for all living beings. Stop attacking the villagers and everyone else. I will return in a year, and I hope to see that you have changed for the better.’
Afraid to disobey the holy man, the snake bowed respectfully and returned to its burrow to think about its behaviour.
In time, the holy man returned to the village. He found the people content and happy: the snake no longer troubled them, and life was peaceful again. But when he went to visit the snake, he found it in a pitiful state, lying helplessly beside its burrow, covered in wounds and bruises.
‘What has happened to you?’ the sage exclaimed.
‘It is your fault,’ the snake hissed faintly. ‘I did everything you said and practised non-violence. But when the villagers realised I was harmless, they beat me with sticks. Now the children come every day and throw stones at me. Look at me: my life is worthless, and it is all your fault.’
‘Foolish snake,’ said the holy man. ‘I told you not to bite. I did not tell you not to hiss.’
Deep down, we all want to believe that the best in other people will prevail. Like the snake, we try to love others and live in harmony with them, but we all know the disappointment of having our kindness exploited. A mature, spiritually developed person understands that interacting with others requires a clear understanding of human nature in all its forms, from the most elevated to the lowest. Such a person also knows when and how to hiss.