Compliments are good. Praise is wonderful. But one should always know when the praise is going to harm us. It’s a very difficult thing but if one is grounded and has a strong sense of reality, it can be easily avoided. Because when someone praises us unnecessarily and too much for the qualities we don’t even possess, it may feel wonderful but eventually it will hurt us. Because anyone who is showering those praises is not admiring our qualities instead needs something from us which otherwise can’t be taken.
There is a very famous anecdote.
Once a crow stole a piece of cheese from some shepherds and settled in a tree to enjoy it. At that moment a hungry fox passing by asked for a bit of the cheese, but the crow said no with a shake of his head.
Then the fox began to say that the crow had all the qualities: he was smart, he knew how to fly, and he had beautiful black feathers. He had only one defect: he could not sing like the other birds.
To prove that the fox was wrong, the crow opened his mouth to sing, and the cheese fell to the ground. The fox seized it immediately and left, saying:
“Dear friend, such is the price of vanity! When someone praises you so highly, you should always be suspicious!”
If your qualities are real, they won’t fade away. If you are genuine, you won’t need any praises.
Be genuine. Be content. Be confident. Be #IAmBuddha
