It happened once that a rich businessman came to the assembly where the Buddha was preaching. The man was furious with the Buddha because his children had become followers of the World Honoured One, and would not help in his business. Seeing the Buddha sitting calmly in front of all his followers, the man’s anger boiled over, and he came up to the front of the gathering and spat on the Buddha.

The Buddha smiled at the man, but otherwise did not react.

That night, the man was in turmoil. He could not imagine a greater insult than spitting on someone, and yet the Buddha has only smiled. He began to think he had made a terrible mistake, and by the time the sun rose, he was filled with repentance.

The rich man went again to the assembly, and this time, he prostrated before the Buddha and begged his forgiveness. He was shocked, though, to hear the Buddha say, “Forgive you? How can I forgive you? It is not possible.”

The businessman turned pale. “But Lord, why not?”

“You have done nothing to forgive.”

“But– yesterday, I spat…”

“Oh, that person is not here now,” the Buddha said calmly. “If I ever meet the person on whom you spat, I will tell him to forgive you, but he is not here now. To this person here, you have not done any wrong.”