A peasant asked the priest of the Tendai school to recite sutras for his deceased wife.
When the reading was finished, the peasant asked: “Do you think my wife will benefit from this?”
“Not only your wife, but all existence will benefit from reading the sutras,” replied the priest.
“If you say that everything that exists will benefit,” said the farmer, “then my wife will not benefit much, and others will take advantage of her and take away all the benefits that should go to her. Therefore, please recite the sutra only for her.”
The priest explained that it was the Buddha's wish that every being should be happy and everyone would benefit.
“This is a wonderful teaching,” the peasant concluded, “just please make one exception. I have a very rude neighbor who gives me nothing but trouble. Exclude him from all these creatures.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru