The Owner of the Good Quality

~ By Ajahn Jayasāro ~

One day recently a student of mine was praised for being kind. As a result, he immediately felt a warm feeling in his heart. Later, he wondered whether his reaction was a mental defilement. He asked me ‘Do truly wise people feel pleasure when they are praised?’ I replied that the wise people that I know do not see themselves as the owners of their good qualities. They do not crave praise for their goodness or become attached to it. However, they may feel the kind of joy that gardeners may feel when people praise the beauty of flowers in their garden.

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"Food for the Heart", a series of Dhamma teachings handwritten weekly is posted on the Buddhadāsa Indapañño Archives page with Ajahn's kind permission.

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For other teachings by Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro, please visit the Panyaprateep Foundation website.