Gift of Insults

[Mystique Enigma]

There once lived a great warrior. Though quite old, he still was able to 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, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in an opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move.

 

Much against the advice of his concerned students, 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. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to mankind. But the old warrior merely 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. "How could you endure such an indignity? How did you drive him away?" "If someone comes to give you a gift and you do not receive it," the master replied, "to whom does the gift belong?"

[little horse]

Yeah ! Beautiful.

I heard the same story but to do with the Buddha being given a gift with wrong intention.

Makes life so much easier holding that thought gently wherever you may be and much easier to be compassionate.

Nice ! ... Realy nice..

Many thanks for reminding me.

[Infinity]

There once lived a great warrior. Though quite old, he still was able to 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, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in an opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move.

 

Much against the advice of his concerned students, 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. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to mankind. But the old warrior merely 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. "How could you endure such an indignity? How did you drive him away?" "If someone comes to give you a gift and you do not receive it," the master replied, "to whom does the gift belong?"

 

Nice, thanks for that.

 

When people are sharing their pain in various forms its best to let them express and keep it.

 

∞

[ThisLife]

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I think that you are being far too hard on the subtle art form of Insult. Like any other usage of the spoken or written word, in the hands of a maestro it can be elevated into the realms of literary masterpiece. Here's a sampling of a few gems that I've come across over the space of several years in various religious forums. My experiences there tell me that Taobums is unfortunately somewhat lagging behind in the Department of Creative Insult :

 

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"He is one of those people that would be enormously improved by death"

 

Saki (H H Munro)

 

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Never argue with an idiot. They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

 

A wise soul

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"He has no enemies but is intensely disliked by his friends"

 

Oscar Wilde

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"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork"

 

Mae West

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"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination."
Andrew Lang

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The terrifying power of the human sex drive is horrifically demonstrated by the fact that someone was willing to father you.

Ipso Fatso

 

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You must have taken great pains, sir; you could not have been naturally so stupid.
Samuel Johnson

 

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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
Albert Einstein

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Don't look now, but there's one person too many in this room and I think it's you.
Groucho Marx

 

 

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"He would be out of his depth in a parking lot puddle."

 

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"This young lady has delusions of adequacy."

 

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"He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them."

 

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"If you see two people talking and one looks bored, he's the other one."

 

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"It's hard to believe that he beat out 1,000,000 other sperm."

 

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Do you want me to accept you as you are or do you want me to like you?

 

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Don't you love nature, despite what it did to you?

 

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He is dark and handsome. When it's dark, he's handsome.

 

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You're not yourself today. I noticed the improvement immediately.

 

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"The biggest argument against democracy is a five minute discussion with the average voter."

 

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Young man (after seeing Churchill leave the bathroom without washing his hands): “At Eton they taught us to wash our hands after using the toilet.”

 

Churchill: “At Harrow they taught us not to piss on our hands."

 

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"The United States invariably does the right thing, after having exhausted every other alternative."

 

 

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Edited September 16, 2014 by ThisLife

[Daeluin]

It has taken me a while to fully appreciate this. I now understand that judgments are projections of energy. It may be difficult to receive these unrefined projections, but if we reject, react to, or face them in any way but equanimous discernment, is that not our own judgment?

 

Perhaps these gifts need refining, but gifts they remain. When one is already humble, how can insults result in humiliation? When one is not already humble, insults help one reach humility - to reject them is a loss.

 

Perhaps this is related to the saying those who speak, don't know.... those who know, don't speak.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Daeluin