How you create Hell for Yourself

A man once came and spat on Buddha’s face. Buddha wiped his face and asked the man, “Do you want to say something more, or is this all?’

Ananda, his close disciple, was very angry. He was fuming that some man came and just spat on his master and that too for no reason at all. He said to Buddha, “Master, if you give me permission I will handle the man.’

Buddha replied, “Have you forgotten that you are a monk, a sannyasi (renunciate)? That poor man is already suffering with his anger. See his angry face, his body shaking with that anger. And before spitting on me, do you think he would have been celebrating and dancing? He is mad with his own anger. In that state of madness, he came and spat on me.

What is bigger punishment for him than being in such a state? And what harm has he done to me? I just had to wipe the spit off my face. Now you don’t get agitated, otherwise you are building the same anger inside you. Why are you punishing yourself? That is foolishness. Feel compassion for the poor man instead.’

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The man was listening and was surprised and confused to see Buddha behave in this way. He was expecting Buddha to become angry. That is what he wanted. Instead the compassion and understanding Buddha showed was just too shocking for him!

Buddha said to him, “Go home. You look tired, you have punished yourself enough. Forget about what you did to me. You did not harm me. This body will return to the earth and people will do all kinds of things like spitting. Go home and relax.’

The man was completely shaken by Buddha’s response. He went back home. He came back that evening, fell at Buddha’s feet and cried, “Please forgive me!’

Buddha calmly said, “I was not angry in the first place. How can I forgive you? But I am happy to see you relieved from the anger and in a state of harmony. Just remember: never do such acts again, this is how you create hell for yourself

Contributed by: n.jambunathan @ yahoo.co.in