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Conquering Anger
Once Bodhisattva, the Enlightened Being, was born into a highly educated family. When
he reached his youth, he decided to renounce all worldly pleasures and lead the life of
an ascetic. His wife too resolved to accompany him through all the hardships of an
ascetic’s life. They built a hut deep in a forest to live in all for a few months. One day,
the king of the land came to hunt in the forest, and seeing the Bodhisattva’s wife, fell in
love. He decided to kidnap her. To find out if Bodhisattva had supernatural powers, the
king asked him what he would do if a thief or a wild animal were to attack his wife. He
said, “I would not be angry.” The king laughed at this and forced Bodhisattva’s wife into
the chariot. But Bodhisattva remained calm. The king was surprised and asked how he
could remain so calm under such circumstances. “Anger is the greatest enemy of man.
It destroys his inner beauty and leads him away from the path of happiness.” The king
was impressed by these words and begged for the Bodhisattva’s forgiveness.