THE MEANING OF COMMON FORBEARANCE
Master Jun Hong Lu: Amongst the 84,000 dharma methods, there is a method called “Patience under Humiliation” which comes in five levels of cultivation – from basic to profound.
The first one is, Common Forbearance. What does it mean?. It means that when you become the target of insults or slander, or find yourself mired in a situation that you cannot avoid — such as when a friend suddenly and inexplicably insults or slanders you during social interactions, placing you in an indefensible position. First and foremost, you must learn to be strong, which means having “Common Endurance”, in which you patiently let the other party put his point through even though you don’t agree with his actions.
Endurance, though painful, needs to be cultivated. The first step is to temporarily put the matter aside. Otherwise, you will be enraged, and the situation may get out of control.
Hence, to have “Common Endurance” is to put things aside when you are unsure of the intention of the other party. Be patient and choke down your anger. All of you must bear in mind that in this context, there is still anger. Hence, this is an immature type of forbearance.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 11 Chapter 44
< About Spiritual Cultivation