The Story Of The Angry Young Man Who Meets the Buddha
One sunny morning, one of the ancient historical Buddhas was walking through a village in India. Suddenly, a very angry and rude young man came to him and began to insult him.
"You have no right to teach others," he shouted. "You're as stupid as anyone else. You're nothing but a fake."
The Buddha was not bothered by these insults and listened patiently as the young man vented his anger. When he finished, the Buddha looked deep into his eyes and asked him in a gentle voice, "Tell me, if you want to give someone a gift, but that person chooses to refuse it, to whom would the gift ultimately belong?"
The young man was surprised by such a strange question and replied: "It would belong to me because I bought it."
The Buddha smiled and said, "That is right. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you are angry with me and I do not feel insulted, then the anger falls on you again. Then you are the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is to hurt yourself. "
"You have no right to teach others," he shouted. "You're as stupid as anyone else. You're nothing but a fake."
The Buddha was not bothered by these insults and listened patiently as the young man vented his anger. When he finished, the Buddha looked deep into his eyes and asked him in a gentle voice, "Tell me, if you want to give someone a gift, but that person chooses to refuse it, to whom would the gift ultimately belong?"
The young man was surprised by such a strange question and replied: "It would belong to me because I bought it."
The Buddha smiled and said, "That is right. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you are angry with me and I do not feel insulted, then the anger falls on you again. Then you are the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is to hurt yourself. "
