The Fulfillment of the Perfection of Patience
Tolerance and forbearance arise out of a peaceful mind with the thought: “If I retaliate the ill-treatment imposed by a stupid person I shall also be a stupid one” Such a practice is called the fulfillment of the perfection of patience The Bodhisatta, for the welfare of all beings, fulfilled the perfection of patience in every existence Regarding the fulfillment of the perfection of patience, the life of the great monkey-king is remarkable. While a Brahmin, the future Devadatta, climbed up a tree, a branch broke, and he fell into a ravine As the monkey saw him crying, themonkey took him out of the ravine. While the tired monkey was sleeping with his head upon the Brahmin’s lap, the stupid ungrateful Brahmin mercilessly struck the monkey’s head with a stone in order to have its flesh as his meal So, the monkey work up and suddenly ran up a tree. But the monkey still worried that the stupid Brahmin might lose his way in the forest and die. As he dared not get down to the ground, he jumped form one tree to another, showing the Brahmin the way to his home by the drops of blood shedding form his head.