A tale is told of an Indian Prince and his Guru (spiritual leader). It is said that on one occasion, when the Guru was teaching to a group of people, including the Prince, he found himself on the receiving end of a fierce outburst of abuse from a bystander, who for some reason was very angry. The Guru listened patiently while the stranger vented his rage. The people were amazed to notice that the Guru was not speaking anything and was just silent.

The Prince was also amazed at this. A little later, he asked the Guru why didn't he say anything to that person? He said to the Prince including the the stranger, "If someone gives a gift to another person, who has a choice to decline it, tell me then, who would then own the gift? The giver of the gift or the person who refuses to accept the gift?"

"The giver of the gift." said the Prince after a little thought. "Any fool can tell this." added the angry stranger. "So has happened here too." He said, "This man has abused me, since I had a choice to accept his abuses or not to accept them, I chose not to accept them. Thus those abuses went back to the person who gave them. Thus by the power of our personal refusal to the bad things, or to the things which we do not want to keep with us, we can keep only good things with us. Vice versa, you should also try not to give any bad thing to others, lest he might return it to you and you have to keep that bad thing with you."

The Prince and other people got very happy to learn this technique to keep only good things with them.

[All people have a choice to choose, as what they want to keep with them and what they do not want to keep with them, so one should not worry about what others give it to you, praise or abuse - because you have a CHOICE to accept praise and give back the abuse to the presenter. In the same way one should not give bad things to others also, lest you will have to keep them with you.]