Gossip rolls like a pebble, stopping only in hollow ground. The wise remain still, and the noise fades on its own.
An old Zen master lived quietly in a village. To every accusation or insult, he would simply say, “Is that so?”
A neighbor’s daughter became pregnant. Pressed by her parents, she named the master. Furious, they confronted him. He only replied, “Is that so?” Then he raised the child, enduring whispers and scorn without a word.
A year later, the young mother confessed: the father was a local boy. Ashamed, her family begged forgiveness. The master said softly, “Is that so? It is all like a dream that never happened.”
We are often deceived by appearances. Time reveals truth. The master chose silence, not from weakness, but from wisdom. When the world judges, the wise remain unmoved. A simple phrase can hold the deepest peace.