According to an ancient story, Buddha was known as a man who could not be provoked to anger or hostility. A man traveled hundreds of miles to test Buddha’s reputation. When he found Buddha, he immediately began to criticize everything he could; he insulted him, he challenged him, he did everything he could to offend Buddha. Buddha was unperturbed.

He said, “May I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” the man responded.

Buddha said, “If someone offers you a gift and you decline to accept it, to whom then does it belong?”

The man said, “Then it belongs to the person who offered it.”

Buddha smiled. “That is correct. So if I decline to accept your abuse, does it not then still belong to you?”