One should Accept Others’ Apology
One day, when the Buddha
had just returned to his Vihara from his round of alms in Sravasti, he heard a
lot of noise coming out of the Vihara. Upon enquiry, he was told that two of his followers
were engaged in a squabble. One of them reviled the other fiercely, while the
other bore it out in silence. Subsequently, the one who used abusive language
knew his own mistake, and immediately implored for the other's acceptance of
his apology. When his apology was being refused, his fellow monks joined in to persuade the other monk to accept the apology, and this had led to the commotion.
Having
understood the incident, the Buddha gave them a discourse:" It does not
matter if a person made a mistake, but it does matter if he did not correct it. Once you are aware of the mistake and have the courage
to repent, purity of the mind can be instantly attained. The duster cloth may
be dirty, but if it is rinsed in
water, its cleanliness can be resumed. That is why those who are willing to
repent are still worthy of the Dharma. On the other hand, one who is unwilling
to accept others' fervent repentance are deluded. They will be affected by
their hatred which will prevent them from accruing merits for a long time to come."
The Buddha
carried on to cite an example:" Imagine scooping oil to fuel the light of
a lantern. As the flame grew more intense, even the scoop might catch fire.It is just the
same with the hatred within us. The sayings ' When one thought of hatred
arises, a hundred doors are opened to hindrances' and ' the flame of hatred can
burn down the whole forest of merits' best describe this. Hatred can demolish
our meritorious roots and invite obscurations. A cultivator must therefore beware of
hatred and its consequences. If we could tame our own minds, we would not only benefit from it directly, but we would also become more approachable and therefore
be able to help others."
After this
discourse of the Buddha, his followers felt calmed and relieved. The dispute was finally resolved.
[
We need to have the moral
courage to correct our mistakes. This is the act of the extremely brave. With
regard to the mistakes of others, we need to have the capacity to accept their
apologies if they truly repent. This is the manifestation of great compassion and wisdom.]