An old fable shares the story of a monk who went for alms. A householder saw him and scolded the monk for begging despite his strong physique. The monk listened quietly and then asked, “If you give a cow to me and I don’t accept it, where will the cow go?”
The householder, a bit confused, answered, “To me, of course.” The monk smiled and replied, “Exactly. I do not accept your abuses.”
The lesson is clear. Criticisms and negativity only have power if we choose to accept them.
By not accepting, they return to where they came from. In life, we often have a choice, even if it may not seem obvious.