One Who Is Unmoved by Humiliation Is a Suitable Vessel for the Path, Worthy of Receiving the Teacher's Dharma

An ancient saying goes: When testing a person, if they can endure being humiliated and reviled, they may be acceptable; if they can also accept with equanimity being suppressed, thwarted, and refused when they seek something, they may also be acceptable. One who can first bear the weight will later be able to enjoy the honor. In the cultivation and realization of the Buddha-dharma, anyone who is a suitable vessel for the Path must be able to bear all burdens and endure all humiliations, because their mind is empty of self and accords with the Path. Those who always want things to go their own way are not vessels and cannot be used, because with a self-attachment their mind is not empty and does not accord with the Path. Those who in all matters put themselves first and others last are all heavy with self, not suitable vessels for the Path. A great vessel must have great capacity; only a great mind can bear everything — a prime minister's belly is large enough to pole a boat in, while a narrow-minded person can only hold filth and excrement. For those with great aspirations and great capacity, when the opportunity arises, give them tribulations to temper their character; only through a hundred refinings can steel be made. Having withstood the tempering and testing of all kinds of adversity, the vessel is then forged. Thereafter, no states of suffering or pleasure can subdue them; their mind is like solid rock. When the first dhyāna arrives in the future and the demon king comes to disturb them, their mind will not be moved — then the barrier of the first dhyāna is passed, and after realizing the fruit, afflictions will certainly be severed. 

Those with meditative concentration (samādhi) skill have strong meditative power, and their character is often softer; they do not resent any humiliation inflicted upon them, do not cry injustice or shout grievance, and their mind accords with emptiness. In the past, when cultivators of the Way reached a certain level, their master would test them to enhance their endurance — reviling them, unjustly beating them, framing them with groundless accusations — and the disciples would not feel wronged, would not argue in their own defense, and certainly would not storm off in anger. Only those who cannot be driven away by beatings or scoldings are true disciples, truly vessels for the Path worth delivering. A person with an empty mind cares nothing for any bullying or humiliation; as long as there is dharma to learn and a Path to cultivate, their mind has found its anchor, and soon after they will realize the Path. Thus it can be seen that the Path has eyes. 

Chan Master Zhaozhou said: for those of the highest grade, receive them on the Chan bed; for those of the middle grade, receive them at the gate; for those of the lowest grade, receive them outside the mountain gate. The lower the grade of the person, the smaller their mind capacity, the narrower their vision, the heavier their self-attachment, and the more they need gentle words and loving speech. Even when they are wrong, you cannot point it out directly, let alone reprimand them; if you reprimand them even slightly, they will run off and quit. Those of the highest grade have great mind capacity, a light sense of self, little emotion and few attachments; their mind abides in the Path and pays no heed to people, affairs, and things outside the Path. Therefore, the heavier a person's self-esteem, the more they need respect and tolerance, with tactful and courteous speech; whereas a person of inner strength only needs directness, blunt and unvarnished, without courtesy, because their capacity is great. Whether one has the Path or not, whether one has cultivation or not, is plain at a glance.