Don’t Be Mad

An old lady always got mad at trivial things. ​

One day, she went to see a Zen Master for help. After listening to her complaints, the Zen Master led her to a Zen room, locked her in, and left. The lady was furious and started to yell. She cursed for a long time, but the Master just ignored her. Soon, the old lady began begging the Master to let her out, but the Master still ignored her. Eventually, she became silent.
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The Master walked to the door and asked, "Are you still mad?" The lady said, "I am only mad at myself. Why did I come to his hellish place to suffer?!" The Master replied, "If someone can’t even forgive himself or herself, how can he or she find inner peace?” And then he left.

After a while, the Master asked her again, "Are you still mad?" She replied, "No longer. Why? Because being mad doesn’t help." The Master left again.

When the Zen Master came to the door for the third time, the lady told him, "I am not mad because it is not worth it." The Master smiled, "The fact that you are still thinking if it's worth it or not means you still have a root of hatred in your heart."

A moment later, while the Master stood still facing the sunset, the lady asked, "Master, what is anger?" The Zen Master poured a cup of tea to the ground. The lady stared at it for a long while. Suddenly, she understood, bowed respectfully, and left.

Our life is just like the cup of tea that the Zen Master poured – in a moment, it will melt into the mud.

It is more important to do something meaningful while you are alive. Don’t waste time fighting for fame. Don’t always say "I’m determined to have my revenge." A truly noble person knows how to let it go. Only by understanding how to find inner peace, can one live a healthy and fulfilling life.​

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