"The Unclaimed Gift"

One beautiful sunny day, Buddha walked into one small village.

Suddenly, a young man approached him and started offending him.

He said: “Who are you to teach the world? You are just as dumb as everyone else, and you are a scammer!”

Buddha was not upset by this.

He asked the man: If you get a present for someone and that person does not receive it, who does this present belong to?”

To which the young man responded: “It belongs to me because I was the one who got it!”

One beautiful sunny day, Buddha walked into one small village.

Suddenly, a young man approached him and started offending him.

He said: “Who are you to teach the world? You are just as dumb as everyone else, and you are a scammer!”

Buddha was not upset by this.

He asked the man: If you get a present for someone and that person does not receive it, who does this present belong to?”

To which the young man responded: “It belongs to me because I was the one who got it!”

Moral: This story teaches us that when we hold onto anger, resentment, or negativity, it's like carrying an unclaimed gift. Just as the young man believed the gift belonged to him until it was received by the intended recipient, our negative emotions belong to us until we let them go. Buddha's calm response reminds us that choosing not to accept offense or engage in negativity allows us to find inner peace and avoid unnecessary suffering.