Buddha encountering rude people

[Luke]

I was wondering if there are any stories about people being incredibly rude to Shakyamuni Buddha (either verbally or physically) in the Pali Canon. I would be very interested to see how the Noble One (or a disciple of his) reacted in such situations and how he dealt with such rude people.

[bodom]

There is a famous story of such an encounter between the Buddha and a ‘difficult person’ named Akkosina.Akkosina’s name means “Not Getting Angry” but he was the exact opposite of his name. Akkosina was easily angered and was always angry about something or someone. When he heard that the Buddha did not get angry with anyone he immediately decided to visit him. He went up to the Buddha and scolded him for all sorts of things, insulting him and calling him awful names. At the end of this angry speech, the Buddha asked this man if he had any friends or relatives. “Yes.” Akokosina replied. “When you visit them, do you take them gifts?” the Buddha asked. “Of course, I always bring them gifts.” The angry man replied. “Then what happens if they don’t accept your gifts?” The Buddha asked. “Well I take them home and enjoy them with my own family” “And likewise,” said the Buddha, “You have brought me a gift here today that I do not accept, and so you may take that gift home to your family.”

[bodom]

There is another story from the Buddhas life that teaches us how to responds to insults and harsh words. The Buddhas rivals had bribed a postitue named cinca to insult and humiliate the Buddha, Cinca tied a bunch of sticks to her belly underneath her rough clothes in order to look like she was pregnant. While the Buddha was delivering a sermon to hundreds of people, she came right out in front of him and said "You rogue. You pretend to be a saint preaching to all these people. But look what you have done to me! I am pregnant because of you." Calmly, the Buddha spoke to her, without anger, without hatred. With his voice full of lovingkindness and compasion, he said to her, "Sister, you and i are the only ones who know what has happened." Cinca was taken aback by the Buddhas response. She was so shocked that on the way back she she stumbled. The strings that were holding the bundle of sticks to her belly came loose. All the sticks fell to the ground, and everyone realized her ruse,

[bodom]

Several people in the audience wanted to beat her, but the Buddha stopped them. "No, no. That is not the way you should treat her. We should help her understand the Dhamma. That is a much more effective punishment." After the Buddha taught her the Dhamma, her entire personality changed. She too became gentle, kind, and compassionate. This story is told by Gunaratana in his book Minfulness in Plain English.

[David N. Snyder]

Those are good examples, bbb. I have sometimes wondered what would have happened if she really was pregnant (not from the Buddha, of course, but from another man). It would have been much harder for the Buddha to clear his name.

There are also the assassination attempts by Devadatta, which the Buddha endured with equanimity.

[cooran]

There is a famous story of such an encounter between the Buddha and a ‘difficult person’ named Akkosina.Akkosina’s name means “Not Getting Angry” but he was the exact opposite of his name. Akkosina was easily angered and was always angry about something or someone. When he heard that the Buddha did not get angry with anyone he immediately decided to visit him. He went up to the Buddha and scolded him for all sorts of things, insulting him and calling him awful names. At the end of this angry speech, the Buddha asked this man if he had any friends or relatives. “Yes.” Akokosina replied. “When you visit them, do you take them gifts?” the Buddha asked. “Of course, I always bring them gifts.” The angry man replied. “Then what happens if they don’t accept your gifts?” The Buddha asked. “Well I take them home and enjoy them with my own family” “And likewise,” said the Buddha, “You have brought me a gift here today that I do not accept, and so you may take that gift home to your family.”

The Akkosa Sutta ~ the Insult

Once the Blessed One was staying at Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove near the Squirrels' Feeding Place. Now the brahman Akkosa Bharadvaja heard this: "The brahman Bharadvaja, it seems, has become a monk under the Great Monk Gotama." Angry and unhappy, he went to where the Blessed One was. Having approached the Blessed One, he abused and criticized the Blessed One in foul and harsh words. Thus reviled, the Blessed One spoke to the brahman Akkosa Bharadvaja: 'Well, brahman, do friends, confidants, relatives, kinsmen and guests visit you?"

"Yes, Gotama, sometimes friends, confidants, relatives, kinsmen and guests do visit me."

"Well, brahman, do you not offer them snacks or food or tidbits?"

"Yes, Gotama, sometimes I do offer them snacks or food or tidbits."

"But if, brahman, they do not accept it, who gets it?"

"If Gotama, they do not accept it, I get it back."

"Even so, brahman, you are abusing us who do not abuse, you are angry with us who do not get angry, you are quarreling with us who do not quarrel. All this of yours we don't accept. You alone, brahman, get it back; all this, brahman, belongs to you.

"When, brahman, one abuses back when abused, repays anger in kind, and quarrels back when quarreled with, this is called, brahman, associating with each other and exchanging mutually. This association and mutual exchange we do not engage in. Therefore you alone, brahman, get it back; all this, brahman, belongs to you."

"People, including the king, know the Venerable Gotama thus: 'The Monk Gotama is the Worthy One.' When does the Venerable Gotama become angry?"

Said the Buddha:

"Where is anger for one freed from anger,
Who is subdued and lives perfectly equanimous,
Who truly knowing is wholly freed,
Supremely tranquil and equipoised?
He who repays an angry man in kind
Is worse than the angry man;
Who does not repay anger in kind,
He alone wins the battle hard to win.
He promotes the weal of both,
His own, as well as of the other.
Knowing that the other man is angry,
He mindfully maintains his peace
And endures the anger of both,
His own, as well as of the other,
Even if the people ignorant of true wisdom
Consider him a fool thereby."
When the Lord proclaimed this, the brahman Akkosa Bharadvaja said this to the Blessed One: "Wonderful, indeed, O Venerable Gotama! Herewith I go to the Venerable Gotama for refuge, to his Teaching and to his Holy Order of Monks. Most venerable sir, may I have the privilege to receive at the hands of the revered Lord Gotama the initial monastic ordination and also the higher ordination of a bhikkhu."

And the brahman Akkosa Bharadvaja received at the hands of the Blessed One the initial monastic ordination and he also received the higher ordination of a bhikkhu. And within a short time of his ordination, the Venerable Akkosa Bharadvaja, living alone, secluded, diligent, zealous and unrelenting, reached that incomparable consummation of holiness for which sons of noble families, having totally abandoned the household life, take to the life of homelessness. With direct knowledge he realized the ultimate, then and there, and lived having access to it. He saw with his supernormal vision: "Ceased is rebirth, lived is the holy life, completed is the spiritual task and henceforth there is nothing higher to be achieved."

The Venerable Akkosa Bharadvaja, indeed, became one of the Arahats.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .budd.html

metta
Chris

[bodom]

Also see this story. Click on the link Unresentful.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... nresentful

[bodom]

Thanks for posting the sutta chris i couldnt remember where it was in the nikayas.

[cooran]

There is another story from the Buddhas life that teaches us how to responds to insults and harsh words. The Buddhas rivals had bribed a postitue named cinca to insult and humiliate the Buddha, Cinca tied a bunch of sticks to her belly underneath her rough clothes in order to look like she was pregnant. While the Buddha was delivering a sermon to hundreds of people, she came right out in front of him and said "You rogue. You pretend to be a saint preaching to all these people. But look what you have done to me! I am pregnant because of you." Calmly, the Buddha spoke to her, without anger, without hatred. With his voice full of lovingkindness and compasion, he said to her, "Sister, you and i are the only ones who know what has happened." Cinca was taken aback by the Buddhas response. She was so shocked that on the way back she she stumbled. The strings that were holding the bundle of sticks to her belly came loose. All the sticks fell to the ground, and everyone realized her ruse,

Hello bbb, and all,

Ciñcā-mānavikā
A Paribbājaka of some ascetic Order. When the heretics of this Order found that their gains were grown less owing to the popularity of the Buddha, they enlisted the support of Ciñcā in their attempts to discredit him.
She was very beautiful and full of cunning, and they persuaded her to pretend to pay visits to the Buddha at Jetavana. She let herself be seen going towards the vihāra in the evening, spent the night in the heretics' quarters near by, and in the morning men saw her returning from the direction of the vihāra. When questioned, she said that she had passed the night with the Buddha.
After some months she simulated pregnancy by tying a disc of wood round her body and appearing thus before the Buddha, as he preached to a vast congregation, she charged him with irresponsibility and callousness in that he made no provision for her confinement.
The Buddha remained silent, but Sakka's throne was heated and he caused a mouse to sever the cords of the wooden disc, which fell to the ground, cutting Ciñcā's toes.
She was chased out of the vihāra by those present, and as she stepped outside the gate the fires of the lowest hell swallowed her up (DhA.iii.178f; J.iv.187f; ItA.69).
In a previous birth, too, she had helped in various ways to harm the Bodhisatta. For details see:
Culla-Paduma Jātaka (No.193)
Mahā-Paduma Jātaka (No.472)
Bandhana-mokkha Jātaka (No.120)
Vānarinda Jātaka (No.57)
Vessantara Jātaka (No.547)
Sumsumāra Jātaka (No.208)
Suvannakakkata Jātaka (No. 389)
It is stated (Ap.i.299; UdA.263f) that the Buddha was subjected to the ignominy of being charged by Ciñcā with incontinence, because in a previous birth he had reviled a Pacceka Buddha.
v.l. Ciñcī; cp. Sundarī 3.
http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_n ... avikaa.htm

metta
Chris

[Monkey Mind]

Those are good examples, bbb. I have sometimes wondered what would have happened if she really was pregnant (not from the Buddha, of course, but from another man). It would have been much harder for the Buddha to clear his name.

There are also the assassination attempts by Devadatta, which the Buddha endured with equanimity.

There is a famous Zen story about a master falsely accused of being the father of an unwed mother's baby. He cared for the baby as though it were his own, and when the woman was consumed by guilt she confessed that she had lied about the baby's father. The community, who once shunned the monk, were now impressed with his integrity.

The jataka stories also have several examples of how the bodhisattas responded to anger.

[Cittasanto]

hi Monkey Mind
this is off topic to this sub-forum, so sorry everyone, but it is a very good story!

It is called "is that so?"
The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbours as one living a pure life.
A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she had a child.
This made her parents angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.
In great anger the parent went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.
After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbours and everything else he needed.
A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth - the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fish market.
The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back.
Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"

Those are good examples, bbb. I have sometimes wondered what would have happened if she really was pregnant (not from the Buddha, of course, but from another man). It would have been much harder for the Buddha to clear his name.

There are also the assassination attempts by Devadatta, which the Buddha endured with equanimity.

There is a famous Zen story about a master falsely accused of being the father of an unwed mother's baby. He cared for the baby as though it were his own, and when the woman was consumed by guilt she confessed that she had lied about the baby's father. The community, who once shunned the monk, were now impressed with his integrity.

The jataka stories also have several examples of how the bodhisattas responded to anger.

[Luke]

The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbours as one living a pure life.
A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she had a child.
This made her parents angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.
In great anger the parent went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.
After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbours and everything else he needed.
A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth - the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fish market.
The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back.
Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"

"Is that so?" Hehehehe hohohohoho hahahahahaa!

Thanks, Manapa. I thoroughly enjoyed that. That's the best thing I've read in a while. I'd forgotten how much I like some of the old Zen masters.

Also see this story. Click on the link Unresentful.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... nresentful

Great story! Thanks. That was exactly what I was looking for.

I suppose that no one ever struck or improperly touched the Buddha. Perhaps that is for the best because they would have created extremely bad karma for themselves by doing so.

[bodom]

Devadatta himself tried to kill the Buddha. When the Buddha was walking on the Vultures' Rock, Devadatta climbed to the peak and hurled a huge stone at the Buddha. On its way down, the rock struck another rock and a splinter flew and wounded the Buddha's foot, causing blood to flow. The Buddha looked up and seeing Devadatta, he remarked with pity, "Foolish man, you have done many unwholesome deeds for harming the Buddha."

Cv 7:3

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/bud ... d_lt28.htm

[Luke]

Devadatta himself tried to kill the Buddha. When the Buddha was walking on the Vultures' Rock, Devadatta climbed to the peak and hurled a huge stone at the Buddha. On its way down, the rock struck another rock and a splinter flew and wounded the Buddha's foot, causing blood to flow. The Buddha looked up and seeing Devadatta, he remarked with pity, "Foolish man, you have done many unwholesome deeds for harming the Buddha."

Cv 7:3

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/bud ... d_lt28.htm

That's a great story! I love the part about the elephant prostrating to Buddha.

What part of the Pali Canon does it come from? I'd like to read the original version. Sorry, I'm not familiar with the abbreviations.

[bodom]

That's a great story! I love the part about the elephant prostrating to Buddha.

What part of the Pali Canon does it come from? I'd like to read the original version. Sorry, I'm not familiar with the abbreviations.

Its from the Cullavaga located in the Vinaya pitaka.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... index.html
http://www.dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=Cullavagga

[withoutcolour]

There is another story from the Buddhas life that teaches us how to responds to insults and harsh words. The Buddhas rivals had bribed a postitue named cinca to insult and humiliate the Buddha, Cinca tied a bunch of sticks to her belly underneath her rough clothes in order to look like she was pregnant. While the Buddha was delivering a sermon to hundreds of people, she came right out in front of him and said "You rogue. You pretend to be a saint preaching to all these people. But look what you have done to me! I am pregnant because of you." Calmly, the Buddha spoke to her, without anger, without hatred. With his voice full of lovingkindness and compasion, he said to her, "Sister, you and i are the only ones who know what has happened." Cinca was taken aback by the Buddhas response. She was so shocked that on the way back she she stumbled. The strings that were holding the bundle of sticks to her belly came loose. All the sticks fell to the ground, and everyone realized her ruse,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi_XLOBDo_Y

Heh, couldn't resist.

[orangemod]

There is a famous story of such an encounter between the Buddha and a ‘difficult person’ named Akkosina.Akkosina’s name means “Not Getting Angry” but he was the exact opposite of his name. Akkosina was easily angered and was always angry about something or someone. When he heard that the Buddha did not get angry with anyone he immediately decided to visit him. He went up to the Buddha and scolded him for all sorts of things, insulting him and calling him awful names. At the end of this angry speech, the Buddha asked this man if he had any friends or relatives. “Yes.” Akokosina replied. “When you visit them, do you take them gifts?” the Buddha asked. “Of course, I always bring them gifts.” The angry man replied. “Then what happens if they don’t accept your gifts?” The Buddha asked. “Well I take them home and enjoy them with my own family” “And likewise,” said the Buddha, “You have brought me a gift here today that I do not accept, and so you may take that gift home to your family.”

I just love this piece of sensible thinking. As a beginner, I am fascinated by all the ways Buddhist teachings can help me become a more "right thinking" person and learn to deal with adversity with dignity.
Thank you for the story.
Cheers, Dave