How to handle insult spiritually? Inspiring Story from the life of Buddha

May 2024 · 3 minute read

How to handle insult? How to deal with the insult? What to say or do when someone insulted you in public. Buddha has answered this question long ago.

Have you ever been insulted by someone? Do you feel bad, depressed, displeased, angered at that time, and confused about what to say? 

Some of you wanted to smack that person in their face. Few of you repay the insult with insult. Those of you who are sensitive feel like crying at that moment.

But still, everybody wanted to know how to handle insult. What to do or say when someone insulted you? Right!

Well, Buddha has answered this question of how to handle insult long ago

Once upon a time, Buddha was passing through a village. A young man came up to him and began insulting him. 

He shouted at him and said, “You have no right teaching others. You are fake and fraud and nothing else. You are as stupid as everyone else.”

Surprisingly, Buddha was not at all upset by these insults. Instead, he asks the young man, “Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone and that person refuses to take it. Then to whom does that gift belong?” 

The young man was shocked and surprised by the strange question. He replied, “I bought the gift, so if the other person refuses to take it, then it belongs to me.”

Buddha smiled and nodded his head and said, “That is correct. The gift belongs to you”. Further, he added that it is exactly the case with his anger.

He said, “You are constantly insulting me. But I refuse to take it. So just as in the case of the gift, your anger falls back on you. You are the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done throughout is hurt yourself. If you want to stop hurting yourself, then you must let go of your anger. Become loving and caring for others. Because when you hate or insult others, you yourself get insulted and becomes unhappy. But when you love others and care for them, then everyone is happy.”

Also Read: Riddle contest between Yudhishthira & Yaksha (Crane) – Yaksha Prashna

Moral of the story:

If you are one of those who feel bad or depressed when someone insults you then just ignore them.

This is the most effective way of handling and dealing with insults. At first, it may sound very difficult that if somebody is constantly cursing you in your face then how can you ignore them.

But by practice and patience, you can achieve that state when insult does not make an iota of difference in your mind, body, thoughts, and life.

You will be happy always no matter what people say about you.

And if you are one of those who is just like the young man, who insult and curse others, then stop doing that no matter how angry you are with them. Because by cursing them, you are cursing yourself.

You are making yourself more and more unhappy and hurting yourself mentally and ruining your life. Start loving people as they are.

Let go of your anger. If you want to correct someone, then there are proper ways of doing it. Insulting and cursing someone is not one of those.

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