This is a very beautiful story about Buddha’s life. Buddha had a disciple called Purna. He had been initiated and had become self-realized. Purna said, “Now I want to leave and spread your message to all the people who need it.”
Buddha said, “I can give you permission to leave, but I have to ask you one thing first: where do you want to go?”
There was a small region in Bihar(India) called Sukha. Purna said, “I will go to Sukha. Until now no monk has ever visited this area, and the people of this region have never heard your message.”
Buddha said, “There is a reason why no one has ever been there. The people there are very bad. It is possible that if you go there they will insult you. Then what will your response be?”
And Purna said, “I will thank them. I will thank them because even if they abuse me, at least they did not hit me, they could have hit me.”
Buddha said, “It is possible that one of them may hit you; then what will your response be?”
He replied, “I will thank him because even if he hits me, at least he did not kill me. He could have killed me.”
Buddha said, “I want to ask you one last question. It is possible that someone will kill you. Then what will your response be?”
Purna said, “I will thank him for releasing me from this life in which I could have gone astray.”
And Buddha said, “In that case, you can go anywhere! Now wherever you go, for you, everyone will be a part of your family. Because when a person’s heart is so full, at such a peak, nothing on this earth can hurt him.”
