Chủ đề: ton giao

A woman whose husband was constantly unfaithful went to a Buddhist master for advice, overwhelmed with sadness.

"Master, my husband keeps cheating even though I love him, care for him, and indulge his every wish. I don't understand why."

The master said nothing. He quietly handed her a steamed bun. "First, eat this."

She ate it, and he asked, "Was it good?"

"Yes."

"Would you like another?"

"Yes."

The master said calmly, "Now do you understand the reason?"

She nodded. "I understand, Master. Human greed is bottomless."

He shook his head. "No. It's because you've become too fat!"

Từ vựng trong truyện

• unfaithful: ngoại tình, không chung thủy
• overwhelmed: bị cảm xúc lấn át
• indulge: chiều chuộng, thỏa mãn
• steamed bun: bánh bao hấp
• bottomless: không có đáy, vô tận

A fisherman brought his fish to the market to sell. A monk saw him and said, ‘You take lives every day. That is a grave sin! Would you like the temple to help you repent?’

‘What would I have to do?’ asked the fisherman.

‘Sell your fish to the temple cheaply, so we can release them into the pond.’

‘All right. But I'll need five coins for each fish. I can't accept any less.’

‘Praise the Buddha! Why so expensive?’ exclaimed the monk. ‘The fried fish we usually buy at the food stall cost only three coins each—and yours haven't even been fried!’

Từ vựng trong truyện

• monk: nhà sư
• grave sin: tội nặng
• repent: sám hối
• release: thả; phóng sinh
• food stall: quán ăn; sạp bán thức ăn

A boy climbed over a temple wall to make mischief and steal fruit. The abbot caught him and gave him a sound beating. He ran home crying and fetched his father, a notorious local tough.

The father stormed up to the monk. "Why did you insult my son?"

"Bless you, bless you. This humble monk has never insulted anyone."

"Then why did you hit him?"

"Bless you, bless you. This humble monk has never hit anyone."

"You beat my son and won't admit it? Fight me if you've got the nerve!"

"Bless you, bless you. Be my guest. This humble monk has never been afraid of anyone."

Từ vựng trong truyện

• make mischief: nghịch ngợm, phá phách
• abbot: sư trụ trì
• notorious: khét tiếng
• humble: khiêm nhường
• got the nerve: có gan

The Pope had just finished his vacation and was riding to the airport in a limousine. Having never driven one, he asked the chauffeur to let him take the wheel for a while. The chauffeur moved into the back, and the Pope started driving.

When he reached ninety miles an hour, a traffic patrol pulled him over. The officer walked up to the window, looked inside for a moment, and said, "Wait here. I need to make a call."

He called his superior. "I've stopped a very important person for a traffic violation, and I need to know what to do."

"Who is it? A senator?"

"No, someone more important."

"The governor?"

"No. More important."

"The president?"

"No. More important."

Losing his temper, the superior shouted, "Then who on earth is it?"

"I don't know," the officer replied. "But the Pope is his chauffeur."

Từ vựng trong truyện

• limousine: xe limousine sang trọng
• chauffeur: tài xế riêng
• take the wheel: cầm lái
• pulled him over: ra hiệu cho ông tấp xe vào lề
• traffic violation: vi phạm giao thông
• superior: cấp trên

An American moved to a Hindu community. Local custom prohibited eating beef, so the residents ate fish instead. Every morning, he cooked beef, filling the air with its aroma, much to everyone's disapproval.

Eventually, they sent a representative to speak to him, and he agreed to observe the ban. Their leader sprinkled water on his head and said, "You were born a Christian, raised a Christian, and now you are a Hindu."

A few days later, the neighbors smelled beef again. They rushed to his hut and found him sprinkling water from a bottle onto a plate of beef.

"You were born a cow, raised a cow, and now you are a fish!"

Từ vựng trong truyện

• prohibited: cấm
• aroma: mùi thơm
• disapproval: sự không tán thành
• observe the ban: tuân thủ lệnh cấm
• sprinkled: rảy; vẩy