"If anyone were to reproach you right to your face, even then you should abandon worldly urges and thoughts. Instead, you should train yourself thus: 'Neither shall my mind be affected by this, nor shall I give vent to unskillful words. But I shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and I shall not give in to hatred.' This is how, you should train yourself.
"If anyone were to give you a blow with the hand, or hit you with a clod of earth, or with a stick, or with a sword, even then you should abandon worldly urges and thoughts. Instead, Phagguna, you should train yourself thus: 'Neither shall my mind be affected by this, nor shall I give vent to unskillful words. But I shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and I shall not give in to hatred.' This is how, you should train yourself.
Mistress Vedehika
"In the past, recluses, in this very city of Savatthi, there was a mistress. This good reputation had spread about her: 'The mistress Vedehika is gentle, meek, calm.' Now, recluses, she had a maid-servant, Kali, who was able, energetic, and very methodical in her work. It occurred to Kali to test mistress Vedehika: 'Could it be that my lady has anger that she does not show, or does she not have anger, or is it because I am methodical in my job that my lady, though she does have anger within, does not show it? Why don't I test her?'..."And then, recluses, this ill-repute spread thereafter about the mistress Vedehika: 'The mistress Vedehika is violent, the mistress Vedehika is arrogant, the mistress Vedehika is not calm.'
"In the same way, recluses, some recluse here is very gentle, very meek, and very calm, so long as disagreeable ways of speech do not assail one. But when disagreeable ways of speech do assail one, it is then that one is to be judged as to whether one is 'gentle,' 'meek,' or 'calm.' Recluses, I do not call that recluse 'dutiful,' who is dutiful on account of the requisites one gets, that is, the robe, almsfood, lodging, and medicine, whereby one falls into pseudo-dutifulness. And why?
For, recluses, failing to get the requisites of robe, almsfood, lodging and medicine, one ceases to be dutiful and is not in keeping with the norms of dutifulness. But, recluses, whichever recluse out of reverence for the Teaching (Dharma), out of respect for the Teaching, out of dedication to the Teaching, showing honor to the Teaching, and giving regard to the Teaching, comes to be dutiful and is in keeping with the norms of dutifulness, that recluse do I consider dutiful.
Therefore, recluses, you should consider: 'Only out of reverence for the Teaching, out of respect for the Teaching, out of dedication to the Teaching, showing honor to the Teaching, and giving regard to the Teaching, shall we become dutiful, shall we be in keeping with the norms of dutifulness.' Thus, indeed, recluses, you should train yourselves.
Positive Response of Love 
"Recluses, there are these five modes of speech which people might use when speaking to you — speech that is
- timely or untimely
- true or false
- gentle or harsh
- with a good or a harmful motive
- with a loving heart or hostility.
"Recluses, some might speak to you using speech that is timely or untimely. Recluses, some might speak to you according to truth or falsely. Recluses, some might speak to you gently or harshly. Recluses, some might speak to you with a good motive or with a harmful motive. Recluses, some might speak to you with a loving heart or with hostility. On all occasions, recluses, you should train yourselves thus: 'Neither shall our minds be affected by this, nor for this matter shall we give vent to unskillful words. But we shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and we shall not give in to hatred.
'On the contrary, we shall live projecting thoughts of universal love (metta) to that very person, making that person as well as the whole world the object of our thoughts of universal love — thoughts that have grown great, exalted, and measureless (boundless). We shall dwell radiating thoughts void of hostility and ill will.' It is in this way, monks, that you should train yourselves.'
The Great Earth
"Suppose, recluses, a person were to come to you, holding a hoe and a basket and were to say: 'I shall make this great earth earthless!' Then that person would strew the earth here and there, spit here and there, and urinate here and there, and would say:' 'Be earthless, be earthless!' What do you think, recluses, would this person render this great earth earthless?"
"No, indeed not, most venerable sir."
"And why?"
"Because this great earth, most venerable sir, is deep and without measure. It cannot possibly be turned earthless. On the contrary, that person would only reap weariness and frustration."
"In the same way, recluses, others may use these five modes of speech when speaking to you — speech that is:
- timely or untimely
- true or false
- gentle or harsh
- with a good or a harmful motive
- with a loving heart or hostility.
In this way, recluses, you should train yourselves: 'Neither shall our minds be affected by this, nor for this matter shall we give vent to unskillful words. But we shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and we shall not give in to hatred. On the contrary, we shall live projecting thoughts of universal love to that very person, making that person as well as the whole world the object of our thoughts of universal love — thoughts that have grown great, exalted, and measureless. We shall dwell radiating thoughts void of hostility and ill will.' It is in this way, recluses, that you should train yourselves.
Empty Space
"Suppose, recluses, a person were to approach you, carrying paints of lacquer, turmeric, indigo, or carmine, and were to say: 'I will draw this picture, I will make this painting appear on this empty space!' What do you think, recluses, could that person make this painting appear on empty space?"
"No, indeed not, most venerable sir."
"And why not?"
"Because this empty space, most venerable sir, is formless and invisible. One cannot possibly draw a picture or make a painting appear on this empty space. On the contrary, that person will only reap weariness and frustration."
"In the same way, recluses, others may use these five modes of speech when speaking to you — speech that is:
- timely or untimely
- true or false
- gentle or harsh
- with a good or a harmful motive
- with a loving heart or hostility.
In this way, recluses, you should train yourselves: 'Neither shall our minds be affected by this, nor for this matter shall we give vent to unskillful words. But we shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and we shall not give in to hatred. On the contrary, we shall live projecting thoughts of universal love to that very person, making that person as well as the whole world the object of our thoughts of universal love — thoughts that have grown great, exalted, and measureless. We shall dwell radiating thoughts void of hostility and ill will.' It is in this way, recluses, that you should train yourselves.
The River Ganges
"Suppose, recluses, a person were to come holding a burning grass-torch, and were to say: 'With this burning grass-torch I shall set fire to and scorch this river Ganges.' What do you think, recluses, could that person set fire to and scorch the river Ganges with a grass-torch?"
"No, indeed not, most venerable sir."
"And why not?"
"Because, most venerable sir, the river Ganges is deep and without measure. It is not possible to set fire to and scorch the river Ganges with a burning grass-torch. On the contrary, that person will only reap weariness and frustration."
"In the same way, recluses, others may use these five modes of speech when speaking to you — speech that is:
- timely or untimely
- true or false
- gentle or harsh
- with a good or a harmful motive
- with a loving heart or hostility.
In this way, recluses, you should train yourselves: 'Neither shall our minds be affected by this, nor for this matter shall we give vent to unskillful words. But we shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and we shall not give in to hatred. On the contrary, we shall live projecting thoughts of universal love to that very person, making that person as well as the whole world the object of our thoughts of universal love — thoughts that have grown great, exalted, and measureless. We shall dwell radiating thoughts void of hostility and ill will.' It is in this way, recluses, that you should train yourselves.
The Catskin Bag
"Suppose, recluses, there was a supple and silky leather bag made of catskin that had been beaten, tanned, cured, fully processed, and made completely free of creases and wrinkles. Then someone were to come with a stick and mallet and say, 'With this stick and mallet I shall make creases and wrinkles in this supple and silky catskin bag which has been beaten, tanned, cured, fully processed, and made free of creases and wrinkles.' What do you think, recluses, could that person with a stick or mallet make creases and wrinkles in that supple and silky catskin bag which has been beaten, tanned, cured, fully processed, and made free of creases and wrinkles?"
"No, indeed not, most venerable sir."
"And why not?"
"Because, most venerable sir, that supple and silky leather bag made of catskin has been beaten, tanned, cured, fully processed, and made free of creases and wrinkles. It is not possible to make creases and wrinkles in it with a stick or mallet. On the contrary, that person will only reap weariness and frustration."
"In the same way, recluses, others may use these five modes of speech when speaking to you — speech that is:
- timely or untimely
- true or false
- gentle or harsh
- with a good or a harmful motive
- with a loving heart or hostility.
In this way, recluses, you should train yourselves: 'Neither shall our minds be affected by this, nor for this matter shall we give vent to unskillful words. But we shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and we shall not give in to hatred. On the contrary, we shall live projecting thoughts of universal love to that very person, making that person as well as the whole world the object of our thoughts of universal love — thoughts that have grown great, exalted, and measureless. We shall dwell radiating thoughts void of hostility and ill will.' It is in this way, recluses, that you should train yourselves.
The Parable of the Saw
"Recluses, even if bandits were to savagely sever you, limb from limb, with a double-handled saw, even then, whoever harbors ill will at heart would not be upholding this Teaching. Recluses, even in such a situation you should train yourselves thus: 'Neither shall our minds be affected by this, nor for this matter shall we give vent to unskillful words. But we shall remain full of concern and pity, with a mind of love, and we shall not give in to hatred. On the contrary, we shall live projecting thoughts of universal love to those very persons, making them as well as the whole world the object of our thoughts of universal love — thoughts that have grown great, exalted, and measureless. We shall dwell radiating thoughts void of hostility and ill will.' It is in this way, recluses, that you should train yourselves.
"Recluses, if you should keep this instruction on the Parable of the Saw constantly in mind, do you see any mode of speech, subtle or gross, that you could not endure?"
"No, venerable sir."
"Therefore, recluses, you should keep this instruction on the Parable of the Saw constantly in mind. That will conduce to your well-being and happiness for long indeed."
That is what the Buddha said. Delighted, those recluses acclaimed the Teaching of the Blessed One. More>>
