禪林寶訓 4.39

4.39

Mi'an said to Shui'an, "When someone defames and insults you, you should accept it compliantly; how could you lightly listen to their utterances and rashly display your limited view? In general, flattering people have their ways, and devious craftiness has many means; those harboring treacherous bias love to indulge their selfish hearts, and those who give rise to suspicion and jealousy arbitrarily discard public opinion. For this sort of people, their pursuits are narrow and cramped, and what they see is dark and short-sighted; they naturally take standing apart from others as being extraordinary, and take obstructing deliberations as being outstanding. Yet, since you know that what you employ is right in the end, and the defamation is naturally theirs, in time it will clarify itself and needs no separate explanation; nor is it necessary to insist on your own correctness and attack others. Then one can almost be a person of the monastic groves." (Letter to Shui'an)