A Classic Buddhist Story –Mutual Resentment And

Harm

A short story from Hundred Similes Sutra百喻經 explaining the doctrines of Buddhism through analogy.

Once upon a time, there was a personwho had some conflicts with his friend and they disliked each other as aresult. The feeling of dislike made this person gloomy and unhappy.

“Why do you look so depressed andhaggard today?” another person asked him.

He answered, “Someone slandered meand I don’t have a way or the ability to retaliate. That is why I am feelinggloomy.”

That person then told him, “I knowthere is such a dharani (mantra) that can cause harm to the person who made theslandering comments about you, but the shortcoming of doing so is that thismantra would hurt yourself first before hurting the other party.”

Upon learning about this mantra, theman was very happy and said, “Please teach me! Although this method will hurtmyself, I don’t mind paying the price of hurting myself first as long as ithurts the other party.”

One might feel astounded beyondcomprehension after hearing this story and ponder how anyone can have such amentality. However, you will be surprised to learn that each one of us has thiskind of mentality.

Dharani is aSanskrit term derived etymologically from the Sanskrit root meaning “to holdfor total retention—sum up all Dharmas and encapsulate the full meaning oflengthier texts and prolix doctrines.” (Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism) It isthe basis and essence of the Dharmas. If one masters the crux of a teaching,one can then master all of its corresponding dharma, words, or meanings. Inother words, with the help of simple concepts or methods, one can manage the complicated.Dharani is an expedient that helps sentient beings learn various practicemethods. There are a variety of dharanis. For instance, devising a mnemonicmethod to memorize after listening to the Buddhist teaching is a dharani. Memorizingthe key point as a way of learning Buddhist teaching is another type ofdharani. A dharani can also be a systematic overview of the stages of practiceand the targeted achievement of each stage in Buddhism. These dharanis actsimilarly to the formula of the times table in arithmetic.

The dharani in this story isanalogous to our mindset of hatred and anger. Under the indulgence of habitualtendency, when one’s anger is not rechanneled after it has arisen, thesubsequent mentality will revolve around the thought of revenge. Not letting goof the vengeful mind is the same as holding or retaining a dharani. Before onehas the chance to retaliate against the other party, the ill feeling will havehurt oneself first. Sentient beings often hurt themselves with their own hatredin such a way without knowing.

The harm of hatred is immense, andnot just because it is damaging to the health. A repeatedly harbored ill-willhurts oneself not just in the moment, but over countless future lifetimes. TheBuddha preached in sutras numerous times that “Hatred is the fire in the mindthat will burn down the forest of virtues.” Hatred towards another person willrepulse or even hurt that person. As a result, when both meet again in futurelives, the unfavorable retribution corresponding to the hatred will ripen andarise. People are repulsed or hurt by hatred , and as a result, thecorresponding unfavorable retribution relating to the hatred will arise whenboth parties meet again in future lives.

It is not easy to overcome hatred. Itrequires skills and one of them is forbearance. Forbearance is acceptance,which includes tolerating insults and slandering. Accepting defamations,scolding, and insults is not easy. However, through confronting and acceptingthese situations over and over again, one can figure out a way to deal withthem; that too is a dharani. After all, there is no substantive existence indefamations, scolding, and insults; they are just sound that will soondisappear. So why do we keep reminiscing over them to deepen and reinforce thepoisonous seeds stored in ourtathāgatagarbha (the True Mind, stored consciouness of each sentient being)?