A parable of practical advice for responding to attack

IN THE SAKKA CHAPTER of the Samyutta Nikaya (11.4), the Buddha teaches, as he often did, by means of a parable, and this one remains as relevant today as it was in ancient India. The story addresses the issue of what a strong person is to do if insulted, attacked, or otherwise provoked by someone weaker. It could, however, just as easily pertain to how a mighty nation might respond to the provocations of a smaller nation or the threats of a criminal.

The Buddha tells of a great battle set in mythological time between the gods and the demons. In the end, the demons were defeated and their leader, Vepacitti, was bound by his four limbs and neck and brought before Sakka, lord of the gods. There, we are told, Vepacitti “abused and reviled [Sakka] with rude, harsh words.” (The commentary elaborates upon these insults, and this makes for some very entertaining reading.) Yet Sakka remained calm, regarding his prisoner with mindful compassion. Sakka’s charioteer Matali was puzzled by this response, and a poetic debate ensued. Let’s listen in:

Matali: Could it be you’re afraid, Sakka, Or weak, that you forebear like this, Though hearing such insulting words From the mouth of Vepacitti?

Sakka: I am neither afraid nor weak, Yet I forebear Vepacitti. How is it one who knows, like me, Would get provoked by such a fool?

Matali: More angry will a fool become If no one puts a stop to him. So let the wise restrain the fool By the use of a mighty stick.

Sakka: This is the only thing, I deem, That will put a stop to the fool: Knowing well the other’s anger, One is mindful and remains calm.

Matali: This very forbearance of yours, Sakka, I see as a mistake. For when a fool reckons like this: “From fear of me he does forebear,” The dolt will come on stronger still—Like a bull the more that one flees.

Sakka: Let him think whatever he wants: “From fear of me he does forebear.” Among ideals and highest goods None better than patience is found.

At issue in this discussion are two opposing models of human nature, as well as two correspondingly different strategies for responding to attack. Matali’s approach relies upon the exercise of power to restrain and punish. To act otherwise can only be an indication of fear or weakness. If an adversary senses a hint of either, the argument goes, it will only make him bolder and more aggressive.

Sakka takes a broader view, one grounded in wisdom, patience, and calm. In his first verse he points out that his forbearance is an expression of his understanding. Knowing how the causes of anger and hatred are rooted in toxic underlying dispositions, and knowing the unwholesome effects these have on mental states when unleashed, he is able to see clearly both the sources of Vepacitti’s anger and the harm that comes with venting it. Would one who understands these things allow himself to be diminished by being pulled off center and goaded into a comparable expression of anger? The wise bull does not chase after waving red cloaks.

Freedom means being able to choose how we respond to things. When wisdom is not well developed, it can be easily obscured by the provocations of others. In such cases we may as well be animals or robots. If there is no space between an insulting stimulus and its immediate conditioned response—anger—then we are in fact under the control of others. Mindfulness opens up such a space, and when wisdom is there to fill it one is capable of responding with forbearance. It’s not that anger is repressed; anger never arises in the first place.