Hoa Vo Uu (Buddha Dharma Education Association)
Venerable Shravasti Dhammika
The Buddha’s Words of Wisdom
When you are living together, in harmony and without contention, a certain person might commit an offence, a transgression. Concerning this you should not hasten to reproof, the person should be examined.
In concerning him you might think: “I won’t get annoyed, nor will he, for he is without wrath and anger, he is quick to see and easy to convince. I have the power to raise this individual from what is unskillful and establish him in what is skilled”. If you think this then it is right to speak.
If you think: “I won’t get annoyed but he will, for he is wrathful, angry, and slow to see but he is easy to convince. I have the power to raise this individual for this individual from what is unskillful and establish him in what is skilled. His annoyance is but a small thing, the great thing is that I am able to establish him in the skilled.” If you think this then it is right to speak.
If you think: “I will get annoyed but he won’t, for his is without wrath and anger, quick to see but difficult to convince. But I have the power to raise this individual for this individual from what is unskillful and establish him in the skilled, and my annoyance is but a small thing. The great thing is that I am able to establish him in the skilled.” If you think this then it is right to speak.
If you think: “I will get annoyed and he will be irritated for he is wrathful, angry, slow to see and hard to convince. But still, I have the power to raise this individual from what is unskillful and establish him in the skilled. My annoyance is but a small thing — the great thing is that I am able to establish him in the skilled.” If you think this then it is right to speak.
However, if you think: “I will get annoyed and so will he, for he is wrathful, angry, slow to see and difficult to convince, and I don’t think I have the power to raise this individual from unskilled and establish him in the skilled,” then in this case have equanimity towards such a person.
