5 Wonderful Buddhist Tales that Will Make You Wiser

Buddhism comes from the word “budhi,” which means awaken. Therefore, Buddhist philosophy is considered the philosophy of “the process of waking up.” A process through which you must not only open your eyes, but also the rest of your senses and your intellect. You can do this through many different ways, one of which is through Buddhist tales.

These five Buddhist tales, will encourage you to leave behind apathy, develop a greater understanding, and become a wiser person. We hope you enjoy them and take advantage of all of the wisdom they contain.

The cup of tea

The professor arrived at the Zen master’s house and introduced himself by boasting about all of the titles and degrees he had acquired throughout his long years of studying. Then, the professor told him the reason for his visit, which was to learn all of the secrets of Zen wisdom.

Instead of giving him explanations, the master invited him to sit down and served him a cup of tea. When the cup filled up, the wise old man, who was apparently distracted, kept pouring the infusion so that the liquid spilled over onto the table.

The professor couldn’t help but call out: “The cup is full, no more tea fits inside”, he warned. The master put the teapot down and affirmed: “You are like a cup, you arrived full to the brim of opinions and prejudice. Unless your cup is empty, you won’t be able to learn anything”.”

The first of these five Buddhist tales teaches us that with a mind full of prejudice, it is impossible to learn and take into consideration new beliefs. It’s necessary to “empty oneself” of old precepts and be open to new teachings.

The gift

Buddha was transmitting his teachings to a group of disciples when a man came up and insulted him, with the intent of attacking him. Under the gaze of everyone present, Buddha reacted with utmost tranquility, remaining totally still and silent.

When the man left, one of his disciples, enraged by such behavior, asked Buddha why he had let that stranger abuse him in such a way.

Buddha answered serenely: “If I give you a horse as a gift, but you don’t accept it, whose horse is it?” The student, after a moment’s hesitation, answered: “If I don’t accept it, it would continue being yours.”

Buddha nodded and explained that, although some people may decide to waste their time giving us insults, we can choose whether we want to accept them or not, just as we would with any other gift. “If you take it, you’re accepting it. And if not, he who insults you is simply left with an insult in their hands.”