The Buddha, His Life and Teachings

Equanimity and Self-Composure

Amid all the vicissitudes of life,gain and loss, repute and ill-repute, praise and censure, pain and happiness n⁵²,the Buddha never wavered. He was firm as a solid rock. Touched by happiness or by pain he showed neither elation nor depression. He never encouraged wrangling and animosity. Addressing the monks he once said: “I do not quarrel with the world, monks. It is the world that quarrels with me. An exponent of the Dhamma does not quarrel with anyone in the world.”ⁿ⁵³

He admonished his disciples in these words:

“Monks, if others were to speak ill of me or ill of the Dhamma or ill of the Sangha (the Order), you should not on that account entertain thoughts of enmity and spite, and be worried. If, monks, you are angry and displeased with them, it will not only impede your mental development but you will also fail to judge how far that speech is right or wrong. You should unravel what is untrue and make it all clear. Also, monks, if others speak highly of me, highly of the Dhamma and the Sangha, you need not on that account be elated; for that too will mar your inner development. You should acknowledge what is right and show the truth of what has been said.”ⁿ⁵⁴

There never was an occasion when the Buddha manifested unfriendliness towards anyone,even to his opponents and enemies. There were those who opposed him and his doctrine, yet the Buddha never regarded them as enemies. When others reproached him in strong terms, the Buddha neither manifested anger nor aversion nor uttered an unkind word, but said:

“As an elephant in the battlefield endures the arrows shot from a bow, even so will I endure abuse and unfriendly expressions of others.”ⁿ⁵⁵