The world of Tzu Chi May 2020 (Vol.122)

49 TZU CHI 122 * The article is extracted from the book “Still Thoughts (Vol. 2)”. A young woman who always talked back when being scolded by her mother-in-law went to see Master Cheng Yen in Hualien. The Master said to her, “Your behaviour was wrong. When your mother- in-law scolds you, you should not talk back.” This woman went home and did as the Master had said. When she met again with the Master, she said, “I did exactly what you taught me, but my mother-in-law became even more furious. She said I was turning a deaf ear to her. What should I do now?” “How did you respond when she scolded you?” the Master asked. “I just kept silent and turned a deaf ear to her,” the woman replied. The Master told her, “Again, you were wrong. When she is furious, you should behave obediently. When you throw a ball against the ground, it’ll bounce back. But when you throw a ball against a sponge, it does not bounce back. When she scolds you the next time, just smile to her and say, ‘Yes, mother. I understand and I’ll correct my fault.’ If she is still mad at you, you should keep smiling and endure her angry words.” Later, the woman spoke with the Master in another location. “It worked,” she said. “My mother-in-law doesn’t scold me any more. She encourages me to listen to sutras, and she even helps me to do the dishes. I kept on smiling at her while she was scolding me. Finally, she started laughing along with me when she observed my smiling face. ” Serene Reflection Question & Answer By Dharma Master Cheng Yen