Knowing How to Submit to Correction: Overcoming Pride to Open the Gate of Sainthood

There was once a monk who became so angry that he stripped off his robes in front of the assembly, all because the Buddha gently rebuked him with a single sentence. It may sound distant and strange, but in truth, this story is very close to each of us. In life, pride is always the first door that blocks us from stepping onto the path of practice.

The Meaning of the Verse: Outer Appearance Does Not Prove Virtue

In the time of the Buddha, there were many sects practicing extreme austerities—going naked, smearing ashes in their hair, fasting, rolling on the ground, living in filth, and so on. These practices earned the admiration of the masses. But the Buddha taught that if doubt and afflictions (kleshas) still remain in the heart, then no matter how severe the austerities, one is not yet a noble one.

Even if one goes naked, smears oneself with ashes, fasts, rolls on the ground, lives in filth, and crouches low, such a person is not yet wise. If doubt has not been fully uprooted from the heart.

The Story of the Angry Monk and the Yaksha Who Knew How to Submit to Correction

A wealthy monk had ordained but still kept his possessions, living in comfort. When the Buddha gently rebuked him, he flared up with pride and stripped off his robes before the assembly. The Buddha patiently recounted a past life: long ago, this monk had been a Yaksha guarding a lake, who devoured human beings. When he heard a bodhisattva explain the dharma of the noble ones, he immediately knelt down and submitted to correction, released his captive, and served the three brothers. The Buddha concluded:

In the past, when he heard my explanation, he knew how to submit to correction. Why is it that today, after just one word of rebuke, he flares up with such pride?

The Buddha used this very story from a past life to make it clear: knowing how to submit to correction means knowing how to listen to what is right and amend oneself. If even a Yaksha could do it, how much more should one who has ordained.

Pride Is the First Gate

Among the countless challenges on the path of practice, pride is the first gate. If we cannot overcome pride, we cannot enter the house of holiness. Thầy Thích Chân Quang emphasized:

Pride is the first obstacle for a practitioner.

In daily life, we often become prideful when someone offers feedback or criticism, whether it is a teacher or a friend. Imagine this: someone who has come to the temple for a long time wants to see the teacher, but the teacher is busy and says loudly, "Sit down!" That person immediately thinks the teacher dislikes them and begins sitting there cursing the teacher in their mind. That is pride. A practitioner free of pride will receive a rebuke as an opportunity to diminish the ego.

The Practice: Swallowing the Rebuke

There is a very beautiful story in the Zen tradition. One day, the head cook, in a flustered hurry, cut the vegetables, washed them carelessly, and cooked the soup. After the meal, the abbot lifted up a snake's head from his bowl of soup. Without saying a single word, the cook grabbed the snake's head, put it in his mouth, and chewed it. This story is called "swallowing the rebuke." It is a way of accepting fault without words, without arguing, without pride.

The gate of the house of holiness remains forever closed to us. No matter how eloquently we may speak, no matter how generously we may give, if the prideful heart has not been overcome, the gate remains shut.

To overcome pride, we can practice repentance: when we have done wrong, we kneel and bow before the assembly, apologizing to wear down the ego. This is one of the wonderful ways to open the gate of sainthood.

Conclusion: Open the Gate Starting Today

Whether you are a layperson or have ordained, pride is always the first obstacle. Train yourself beginning with the smallest things. When you hear words of rebuke, smile, accept the fault, and correct yourself. The gate of the house of holiness will open wide to all who know how to submit to correction.