Dear all
I was discussing with another person this Sutta, and we had two different interpretations about it. The Sutta says
“Mendicants, there are these ten methods to get rid of resentment. What ten? Thinking: ‘They harmed me, but what can I possibly do?’ you get rid of resentment. Thinking: ‘They are harming me …’ … ‘They will harm me …’ … ‘They harmed someone I love …’ … ‘They are harming someone I love …’ ‘They will harm someone I love …’ … They helped someone I dislike …’ … ‘They are helping someone I dislike …’ … Thinking: ‘They will help someone I dislike, but what can I possibly do?’ you get rid of resentment. And you don’t get angry for no reason. These are the ten ways of getting rid of resentment.”
I have understood the “what can I possibly do?” as part of letting go and the fact that one will take time to reflect that we are just a pile of elements and hence empty, so nothing needs to be done but observe and move on. My friend insisted that the Sutta suggests we must ponder what to do for those cases and find solutions. By finding a solution, the person will not experience resentment.
Now I’m afraid I have to disagree with his point since in all other suttas in which the Buddha speaks of how to avoid resentment, it is clear that the focus is on the mind of whom is feeling the irritation rather than trying to act to “correct” the “wrong” which caused one’s mind to experience resentment.
If I am correct in my assumption, this is an example of how selective use of single suttas (without checking the others discussing similar context) may bring to do actions that may aggravate one’s kamma.
Anyway, just checking if my interpretation was in the right direction
Thanks