Wisdom story: To who does the "gift" belong to when no one accepts it?

Long ago, in a peaceful village near the capital of Japan, there lived an old samurai. He was once a great warrior, feared and respected by many, but as the years passed, he chose a life of wisdom over battle. He spent his days teaching young students the way of the samurai not just how to fight, but how to live with honor, patience, and discipline. One day, as the old samurai was instructing his students in the courtyard of his dojo, an arrogant young warrior arrived. This young samurai was known across the land not for his skill in battle, but for his cunning and cruelty. He had defeated many strong warriors, not with superior swordsmanship, but by using insults and humiliation to blind them with rage. His opponents, overcome with anger, would make mistakes, and that was when he would strike. With a loud voice, the young samurai stepped forward and declared his challenge. He wanted to fight the old master in front of all his students. But the old samurai simply looked at him, calm and unbothered, and continued his lesson as if the challenge had never been spoken. Seeing that his words were ignored, the young warrior smirked and decided to use his favorite trick. He began hurling insults at the old samurai. He called him a coward, a weak old man and even mocked his students for following such a master. The students were shocked. In Japan, honor meant everything. Men had fought and died over a single insult. Surely, their master could not let this go unanswered! They waited for the old samurai to draw his sword, to teach this rude challenger a lesson.

But the old samurai did nothing. He did not frown, he did not move. He simply continued speaking to his students, as if the young warrior did not exist. This made the young warrior even angrier. He picked up a stone and threw it at the samurai’s feet. When that had no effect, he threw another, this time aiming closer. Still, the old man did not react. His expression remained as peaceful as ever. The young warrior’s anger turned to frustration. He began spitting at the old samurai, shouting even louder, trying to make him lose control. The students were disgusted by the young warrior’s behavior. They clenched their fists, wanting to defend their master, but the old samurai raised a hand, signaling them to stay calm. The young warrior, now exhausted from his own fury, pulled out his sword. He pointed it at the old master, his hands shaking with rage. But the law was clear he could not strike unless the old man accepted the challenge. And still, the master did nothing. For hours, the young warrior continued his insults, but the old samurai remained as steady as the mountains. Slowly, the energy drained from the challenger. His voice became weaker, his body tired, and his mind filled with shame. Finally, realizing that he had failed, the young warrior lowered his sword. He turned and walked away, humiliated, having fought all day but won nothing.

As the students watched him disappear into the distance, they were filled with admiration for their master. One of them finally spoke up, unable to contain his curiosity. “Master,” he said, “why did you not accept his challenge? Surely, you were not afraid of him?” The old samurai looked at his students with gentle eyes and asked, “If someone comes to you with a gift and you refuse to accept it, who does the gift belong to?” One of the students thought for a moment and then replied, “To the person who offered it.” The old samurai nodded. “The same is true for anger, hatred, and insults. When someone tries to give you their negativity, you do not have to accept it. It remains with them, not with you.” The students were silent, letting the lesson sink in. They realized that true strength was not in fighting every battle but in choosing which battles were worth fighting. And with that, the wise samurai ended the lesson for the day, leaving his students with a new understanding of what it truly meant to be strong.