Like the Earth That Bears No Resentment: A Great Lesson from Venerable Sariputta

Have you ever been misunderstood, falsely accused, or spoken ill of behind your back? That feeling is truly unpleasant and painful. But when the one who was falsely accused was none other than an Arhat, the leader of the Sangha appointed by the Buddha himself, the story becomes especially profound.

In a lecture on the Dhammapada, Thay Thich Chan Quang recounted a deeply moving event about Venerable Sariputta — the disciple foremost in wisdom among the Buddha's followers — leaving us an extraordinarily deep lesson on the virtue of patience and humility.

A Story of a False Accusation

After the rains retreat, Venerable Sariputta and a group of monks went on alms rounds in another area to ease the burden on the local lay devotees. While saying farewell to everyone, because of the crowd, he accidentally failed to greet one monk, and his alms bag lightly brushed against that monk's face. The monk became angry, harboring resentment, and went to report to the Buddha that Venerable Sariputta had looked down on him, disrespected the community, and violated his body.

Rather than criticizing or defending himself, the Buddha had Venerable Sariputta summoned back to speak before the assembly. This was an opportunity for Venerable Sariputta to express his heart, and also an occasion for him to deliver his "lion's roar" — an immortal teaching on the practice of humility.

The Lion's Roar: Seeing Oneself as the Earth

The Buddha asked: "Did you look down on this monk? Did you violate his body? Do you bear full responsibility for leading the Sangha?" Venerable Sariputta did not answer directly, but instead expressed his view of practice.

He compared himself to the earth — ever ready to receive all refuse, enduring being plowed and dug so that gardens may bear sweet fruit. He compared himself to a lowly scavenger carrying waste, to water that washes the world clean and then flows into the drains, to the wind that cools people's hearts and then vanishes into nothingness.

"When he spoke those words, the very earth trembled, and many people wept."

Upon hearing this, the monk who had made the false accusation knelt down and bowed to Venerable Sariputta, begging for forgiveness. The Buddha suggested that Venerable Sariputta forgive him, and Venerable Sariputta placed his palms together and said: "I gladly forgive this venerable one, and I also ask that he forgive me, for I have troubled his heart." The Buddha quietly spoke four verses:

"Like the earth that bears no resentment, like a stone pillar that endures, like a lake that is clear and pure, like a noble one who soars high."

The Root Affliction of Gossip and Clinging to Opinions

After telling the story, Thay Thich Chan Quang pointed out that if someone as great as Venerable Sariputta could be falsely accused, how much more so are we. This is because within each person's heart lies hidden the ego, arrogance, and the desire to be superior. It is difficult to surpass others through talent or virtue, but it is all too easy to do so by putting others down. And so the habit of gossiping, and believing gossip, has become "ordinary" human behavior.

"Examine yourself from the time you were born and grew up until the day you encountered the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) — how much have you spoken ill of others? Reflect from the moment you first encountered the Dharma until today, sitting here: how much have you gossiped about others? Do you enjoy speaking ill of others? Do you believe what people say about one another?"

Thay also warned of the spiritual consequences: speaking ill of an ordinary person carries light karma, speaking ill of a virtuous person carries heavy karma, and speaking ill of a noble one burns away all merit accumulated over countless lifetimes, with the gates of hell waiting open. The root cause lies in our clinging to our own opinions. We believe with absolute certainty that the other person is bad, when in truth we are the one mistaken. Therefore, do not rush to trust your own mind, do not cling to your own judgments.

"If we attack a supremely wise Arhat like Venerable Sariputta, no hell would be enough to contain us. The karma of clinging to our own opinions and condemning others — we cannot foresee it, we cannot fathom the mistake we make in that moment."

Understanding and Realization: The Distance Between Knowing and Living

One fascinating thing Thay shared is the story of Venerable Sariputta meeting Venerable Assaji and hearing the verse: "All phenomena arise from conditions (dependent origination), and cease from conditions as well." Upon hearing just these few words, Venerable Sariputta realized the fruit of stream-entry. Yet when we hear it, we understand it immediately too — but we do not realize it. Why?

"The difference between understanding and realization... When we are inside that wave being tossed about, we say it is unreal — we know it is unreal. But a noble one stands on the shore, knowing it is unreal, seeing its impermanence (anicca) in a completely different way. The difference lies in where one stands, and that standing place is separated within the structure of the mind — it releases one from clinging in a most remarkable way."

When we understand yet still lose our composure when scolded, still panic when we lose our keys, still turn pale when we lose money — it is because we have not yet stepped onto the shore. The noble one has separated from the current, while we are still drifting, sinking and surfacing.

Living Like the Earth, Like Water, Like the Wind

The lesson Thay wishes to give us is to practice looking inward. Have we overcome the habit of gossiping, of easily believing false accusations? Are we still clinging tightly to our "self," so that whenever anyone touches it, we feel offended? Let us learn from the conduct of Venerable Sariputta: take in the filth so the world may be clean, take in the resentment so the world may be fragrant. Live like the earth — bearing no resentment, like a stone pillar — enduring, like a clear lake — pure.

This is not empty theory, but a concrete practice for each day. When you hear someone speak ill of another, pause and do not judge. When you are misunderstood, ask yourself: "Am I keeping a heart like the earth?" Each time we let go of a small piece of ego, we take another step on the path of practice.

Let us begin today. Examine yourself, gently recognizing the "specks of dust" of gossip, of clinging to opinions, of wanting to be superior. And then, day by day, let us practice living like the earth — so that the heart may be light as a cloud, pure as a lake, and free as the wind. That is precisely the path to nobility, soaring high above all suffering (dukkha).