The Parable of the Insults

There once lived a great warrior; though quite old, he could still defeat any challenger. His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land, and many students gathered to study under him.

One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. He was determined to be the first man to defeat the great master. Along with his strength and skill, he had the uncanny ability to spot and exploit an opponent's weakness. 

He would wait for his opponent to make his first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force, at lightning speed.

No one had ever lasted in a match against him beyond the first move.

Much against his concerned students' advice, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior's challenge.

As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He threw dirt and spit in his face, and for hours threw every manner of insult at his opponent known to humankind, but the old warrior stood there, motionless and calm. Finally, the young warrior exhausted himself. Knowing he was defeated, he left, feeling shamed.  

Somewhat disappointed that he did not fight the insolent youth, the students gathered around the old master and questioned him. 

Although this parable has a different setting, it’s fundamentally the same as Gift's old Buddhist tale. The great master is the Buddha, teaching a lesson and the young warrior is a bystander who angrily disagrees. Whatever the context, the ultimate lesson and the truth remains the same.

To answer the Master’s question here, a gift would still belong to you if the recipient didn’t accept it because...after all...you bought it. The truth of this teaching, however, lies in allegory. See...It’s the same with your anger or negative emotions. If you become angry with someone and they don’t feel insulted or accept your hostility, the offense falls back on you, as it was initially yours to give. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not them...and all you’ve done is hurt yourself. 

This video was created by Team Spirit Connect with the team at https://spiritsciencecentral.com/about