After reaching enlightenment, it was the Buddha’s practice to rely on peoples’ generosity for his survival, having no worldly possessions of his own.
One day while wondering through a town he stopped at the gate of a large house that belonged to a wealthy merchant. The merchant came to the gate (in my mind’s eye the Buddha pressed the button on the intercom system, which a wealthy merchant would surely have had installed at the entrance to his mansion) to see who was calling and the Buddha humbly lifted his begging bowl to ask for some food.
Having worked very hard for his living, the merchant was angered at the sight of this beggar at his door, more so because he was wearing the traditional attire of a holy man, and he demanded, “Why don’t you get a job and work for your supper like the rest of us?” The Buddha stood motionless quite unmoved by the merchant’s words.
Not understanding why he had not responded, the merchant reprimanded the Buddha for being a parasite living off the efforts of working people, and waved him away. The merchant got even angrier when he saw the Buddha was again unmoved. This time he warned him to get out of his sight or he would give him a thrashing to remember him by. Again the Buddha stood motionless.
The merchant swiftly answered, “It remains with the first man.”
The merchant who was a deeply conscientious man realized that his rage had nothing to do with the man before him and immediately gained his own enlightenment. He then became a holy man, leaving his home and possessions behind him, and went on to become one of the Buddha’s greatest disciples.
I searched for this story on the internet, but was not able to find it. I am sure I read it when I was traveling in India. Perhaps I should ask an authority on the life of the Buddha for a reference, but in the meantime this was my version from memory.
This is probably the story I have told most frequently throughout my adult life. I often told it to my children to give them another perspective on arguing with each other and I still occasionaly use it in a variety of conflict-related situations.
One day while wondering through a town he stopped at the gate of a large house that belonged to a wealthy merchant. The merchant came to the gate (in my mind’s eye the Buddha pressed the button on the intercom system, which a wealthy merchant would surely have had installed at the entrance to his mansion) to see who was calling and the Buddha humbly lifted his begging bowl to ask for some food.
Having worked very hard for his living, the merchant was angered at the sight of this beggar at his door, more so because he was wearing the traditional attire of a holy man, and he demanded, “Why don’t you get a job and work for your supper like the rest of us?” The Buddha stood motionless quite unmoved by the merchant’s words.Not understanding why he had not responded, the merchant reprimanded the Buddha for being a parasite living off the efforts of working people, and waved him away. The merchant got even angrier when he saw the Buddha was again unmoved. This time he warned him to get out of his sight or he would give him a thrashing to remember him by. Again the Buddha stood motionless.
The merchant continued to rebuke the Buddha until he got so angry that he took a large cane and threatened to beat him to a pulp. Still the Buddha was unmoved. The merchant raised his arm and was about to strike the Buddha when he hesitated and inquired, “I have shouted at you, I have insulted you, I have scolded you as if you were no better than a mangy dog, I am about to batter you to your death, and yet you stand there unaffected. If you do not wish to answer me, then why do you not defend yourself or at least run away? Do you not have any self-respect? Do you not have any wish to live?”
This time the Buddha calmly lifted his head and with a soft smile he answered, “If one man gives a second man an apple, and the second man does not take it, what happens to the apple?”
The merchant swiftly answered, “It remains with the first man.”
The merchant who was a deeply conscientious man realized that his rage had nothing to do with the man before him and immediately gained his own enlightenment. He then became a holy man, leaving his home and possessions behind him, and went on to become one of the Buddha’s greatest disciples.
I searched for this story on the internet, but was not able to find it. I am sure I read it when I was traveling in India. Perhaps I should ask an authority on the life of the Buddha for a reference, but in the meantime this was my version from memory.
This is probably the story I have told most frequently throughout my adult life. I often told it to my children to give them another perspective on arguing with each other and I still occasionaly use it in a variety of conflict-related situations.