THE POWER TO CHOOSE

A man once walks to Buddha who was walking along with his disciples and starts abusing him with bad words. When Buddha does not react he even gets more wild and uses filthy words against him. The disciples are furious and ask Buddha to just say a word and they would trash him fully. Buddha asks to remain quiet. The man now is in such a rage that he is trembling and frothing while yelling abuses at Buddha. Buddha stands still. Finally the man totally drained of his energy drags himself away weakly from there. The disciples are shocked and angry and ask Buddha why did he have to bear all that and why didn't he give them permission to stop that man, to which Buddha replies, "He has done what he had to do and I have done what I have to do. He has thrown abuses. I have not accepted it." Then Buddha asks the disciples what will they do if Buddha had to come for a meal to their home. They replied that they would prepare the best meal for him. Buddha asks them what would they do if he never turned up for the meal and they reply that they would have no other option but to eat the meal themselves. Buddha then said, "When I did not accept what that man had to offer, he had to eat all those abuses himself and was affected by it and left." 

.................So exercise always the power to choose.