Buddha was well known for his ability to respond to evil with good. And there was a man that knew about this reputation and he traveled miles and miles to test Buddha.
When he got in Buddha’s presence he verbally abused him, he insulted and offended him. Buddha was unmoved.
He simply turned to the man and said: ‘ May I ask you a question?’
The man agreed and said: ‘ Well what?’
Buddha: ‘ When someone offers you a gift and you decline to accept it, to whom then does it belong?’
Man: ‘ Well then it belongs to the person who offered it.’
Buddha smiled: ‘That is correct.’
Buddha: So if I decline to accept your abuse, does it not then still belong to you?
The man was speechless and left.
When we begin to change our inner world, the experiences of the outer world will also change and reflect this.
In a modern world full of materialism, worry, greed, stress, and an array of sufferings, meditation can bring positive relief and purification to all unhealthy matters that a human being may experience.
When a person truly begins to understand how they are affecting and creating there own problems, they quickly want to change. If they practice the correct methods of self-awareness then radical progress in a persons emotional, spiritual and physical development can be made in a very short time.
The sub-conscious and conscious cycles can gradually be changed, through practice, effort and good conduct, resulting in a healthier, happier and more wholesome life.
