I heard these words of the Buddha one time when he was staying in the Anthapindika Monastery in the Jeta Grove near the town of Shravsti.
One day the Venerable Shariputra said to the monks, “Friends, today I want to share with you five ways of putting and end to anger. Please listen carefully and put into practice what I teach.
The bhikshus agreed and listened carefully. The Venerable Shariputra then said, “What are these five ways of putting an end to anger?
1st) My friends, if there is someone whose bodily actions are not kind but whose words are kind, if you feel anger toward that person but you are wise, you will know how to meditate in order to put an end to your anger.
“[In parable], say there is a bhikshu practicing asceticism who wears a patchwork robe. One day he goes past a garbage pile filled with excrement, urine, mucus, and many other filthy things and he sees in this pile one piece of cloth still intact. Using his left hand, he picks up the piece of cloth, and stretches it out with his right hand. He observes that this piece is not stained by any filth nor is it torn. So he folds it and puts it away to take home, wash, and sew into his patchwork robe. My friends, if we are wise, when someone’s bodily actions are not kind but his words are kind, we should not pay attention to his unkind bodily actions, but only be attentive to his kind words. This will help us put an end to our anger.
2nd) My friends, if you become angry with someone whose words, are not kind but whose bodily actions are kind, if you are wise, you will know how to meditate in order to put an end to your anger.
[In parable}, say that far from the village there is a deep lake whose surface is covered with algae and grass. There is someone who comes near that lake who is very thirsty, suffering greatly from the heat. He takes off his cloths, jumps into the water, and using his hands clears away the algae and grass, enjoying a bath and drinking the cool water of the lake. It is the same my friends, with someone whose words are not kind but whose bodily actions are kind. Do not pay attention to his words, putting your awareness on his actions will help you to end your anger. Someone who is wise should practice this way.
3rd) My friends, if there is someone whose bodily actions and words are not kind, but who still has a little kindness in his heart, if you feel anger toward that person are wise, you will know how to meditate to put an end to your anger.
[In parable], say there is someone going to a crossroads. She is weak, thirsty, poor, hot, deprived and filled with sorrow. When she arrives at the crossroads, she sees a buffalo’s footprint with a little stagnant water in it. She thinks, “There is very little water here, and if I use my hand or a leaf to scoop it up it will become muddy and undrinkable. Therefore, I will have to kneel, put my lips right into the water and drink it directly.
My friends, when you see someone whose actions and words are unkind, but where there is a little kindness in her heart, do not pay attention to the actions and words, but to the little kindness in her heart, thus you may put an end to your anger. Someone who is wise should practice this way.
4th My friends, if there is someone whose words and actions are unkind, and whose heart holds nothing that can be called kindness, if you are angry with that person and you are wise, you will know how to meditate in order to put an end to your anger.
[In parable], suppose there is someone on a long journey who falls sick. He is alone, completely exhausted, and not near any village. He falls into despair, knowing that he will die before completing his journey. If at that point, someone comes along and sees his situation, she immediately takes the man’s hand and leads him to the next villager, where she takes care of him, treats his illness and makes sure he has everything he needs by way of food, cloths, and medicine. Because of this compassion and loving-kindness, the man’s life is saved.
Just so my friends, when you see someone who is unkind in speech, and action, and whose heart appears black, give rise to this thought: This is someone undergoing great suffering. Unless he meets a good spiritual friend there will be no chance for him to transform and go to the realms of happiness. Thinking like this, you will be able to open our heart with love and compassion toward that person. You will be able to put an end to your anger and help that person. Someone who is wise should practice like this.
5th) My friends, if there is someone whose actions are kind, whose words are kind and whose mind is also kind, if you are angry with that person and you are wise, you will know how to meditate in order to put an end to your anger.
[In parable], suppose that not far from the village there is a very beautiful lake. The water is clear and sweet, the bed of the lake even, the banks lush with grass and beautiful trees. Someone who is thirsty, suffering from heat, and is covered in sweat comes to the lake, takes off his clothes, jumps in, and finds great comfort in drinking and bathing. His heat, thirst, and suffering disappear immediately. In the same way, when you see someone whose actions, words, and mind are kind, give your attention to all his kindness of body, speech, and mind, and do not allow anger or jealousy to overwhelm you. If you do not know how to live happily with someone who is as fresh as that, you cannot be called someone who has wisdom.
My dear friends, these are the five ways of putting an end to anger. When the bhikshus heard the Venerable Shariputra words, they were happy to receive them and put them into practice.
