Lessons In Practical Buddhism - Sirimangalo.Org

suffering that comes to the recipient of criticism is also
common to those who cling to an idea of self. For those who
have practised insight meditation, however, there comes the
knowledge that what we call “self” is only a flux of
experience, arising and ceasing, and so there is no target on
which to pin such criticism. The criticism itself is not real,
either; it is only speech that is interpreted by our mind as
having some sort of meaning, leading to thoughts and that
are then clung to as pleasant or unpleasant; the meditator
will see this, and find nothing in the process that can be said
to belong to oneself, freeing them from the burden of such
criticism.
Moreover, through the practice of meditation, one will cease
to perform any and all evil deeds, and therefore find no
reason to fear what others might say. As my teacher once
joked with us, “if someone calls you a buffalo, just put your
hand on your backside and see if you have a tail. If you
don’t have a tail, you’re not a buffalo.” The only sure way to
be free from blame of others is to avoid evil deeds of
thought, speech and deed. Then, even when others scold or
criticize you, you will not be moved, since you see clearly
that you have done nothing wrong, and that the criticism is
just meaningless speech.
If we are not mindful when others praise us, we will be
delighted, conceiving it to be pleasurable and clinging to it
as belonging to us. Then, when others even hint at dispraise
or criticism, we will be angered, displeased, even depressed
and traumatized thinking the criticism also ours. It is this
danger that the Buddha saw when he said in the Mangala
Sutta, “phutassa lokadhammehi, cittaṃ yassa na khampati”
– when touched by worldly vicissitudes, whose mind is not
shaken, for them this is the highest blessing. So, we should
take every precaution to ward off the danger in clinging to
both the criticism and the praise of others.
At the same time, we should make all effort to avoid evil
deeds or else even wise people will criticize us. Even if we
are not moved by criticism, still our evil deeds will always
meet with censure by the wise, and we will thus have no
opportunity to associate with good people who will regard us
as evil doers. This is a real danger that comes from evil –
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