Buddha and a Pile of Shit

Zen Master, Fo Yin was especially intimate with Su Dongpo, a distinguished and mischievous poet. Their friendship had grown so deep that the little wrangling had no effect on their relationship. Once, on a meeting between this two good friends, Su Dongpo asked Venerable Fo Yin, "Master, what do you think I look like sitting here?".

Venerable Fo Yin replied, "You look like a sitting Buddha."

On hearing this, Su Dongpo says this to Venerable Fo Yin, "But you surely look like a pile of shit to me." Venerable Fo Yin, answered "Oh...is that so?"

Su Dongpo seeing Venerable Fo Yin, still as composure as before, asked "You respect me as a Buddha, and I refer to you as a pile of shit. Aren't you angry?"

Venerable Fo Yin then answered, "I should be happy. How could I be angry?"

He went on explaining, "Because if the self is Buddha, the self sees others as Buddha-like, if the self is full of shit, the self sees others as shit-like!"

The world presents itself according to the point of viewp of each person. Whatever kind of person we are, we will see that kind of world; whatever kind of mindset we have, we will derive that kind of conclusion.