An old man tired by time told me that in one place there was a man who was characterized by not being able to control his anger.
His name was Benko.
As far as Benko is known, he was characterized as a child because he could not control his character and product of the same thing many times his parents had to change him from his school because of some violent encounter with another child.
The time was advancing and Benko’s anger and violence unfortunately grew. His parents always had the hope that over the years his son would mature and change his attitude, they even felt it was strange because none of their other three children showed a similar attitude.
Benko grew up and as every young man he began to make friends with different ladies of his age, but usually they run away from him because of his strong character.
Sometimes Benko woke up apparently changed, but it was only in appearance because before any difference he exploded in anger immediately.
Benko’s problem is that he did not have self-criticism, he thought that all situations were handled and arranged by blows. If you scream … I scream twice as loud he used to think.
Sometimes he changed his attitude for convenience, because his group of friends avoided him, but when he recovered them again he was always the same again.
The years went by and Benko got married. He was 26 years old. The truth is that the courtship was very long, mainly due to problems of Benko’s character, María, his current wife, rejected him many times, but … like every young woman in love, he thought that Benko would change with time.
Benko had many jobs, but of all of them due to problems of coexistence ended the same way, fired.
To avoid this swaying of layoffs, Benko decided to start his own business where he would be his own boss.
In his home it was the same, with a single scream he imposed his terms. Maria his wife several times went to his mother’s house due to Benko’s violence. Benko was going to look for her and convinced her with the usual speech “I am going to change”.
Benko was not only violent in words, he also came to physical aggression with his children and wife.
Benko had only one “friend”, David who was also tired of his attitude.
Well, that was Benko’s life, between shouts and blows.
But as life gives teachings, the following happened …
One day Benko arrived to his house, it was already late, he came a little drunk and for that reason he started shouting at his wife asking her to get up and serve him dinner. As Maria did not do it with the speed of lightning that she used to, Benko under an uncontrollable state of anger began to destroy all the objects in the house. Maria and the children only managed to hide.
It was such a fuss that the police arrived and stopped him.
Benko’s fury was so great that not even the authority obeyed, but this was common in him, for that reason in more than one occasion he took a good beating.
Benko when the situation was not as he wanted, saw everything dark and his goal was to hit and scream.
David, the only friend that he had, went to see him and took him out of jail.
The first thing Benko did was to go to Maria, his wife, she had gone to her mother’s house, but this time everything was different. Maria had a look like that Benko had never seen.
Benko started again with the speech that he already had very well learned and said: “Forgive me, I swear by my children that this time I will change”.
But Maria was different and with a strength that overcame any anger, she told Benko:
“Look, I gave you many years to change, but you did not take advantage of them. Do you know what gives me more sadness? … that you never earned my respect or that of your two children, you only won “our fear”, but I no longer have it and may God have mercy on your soul.”
These words and the firmness penetrated so deep in Benko, that only managed to leave and disappear.
Benko for a while disguised with the dress of goodness as often happened, played for a while the misunderstood father, but as the months passed Benko the tyrant and violent man that everyone knew appeard again.
The only thing that remained in the world was his friend David, because his brothers and parents did not want to know anything about him. His wife and children left for another town without anyone knowing where.
One day after leaving work, Benko joined his friend David, drank some glasses and with the roar of liquor Benko began to act violently to such an extent that he turned the table down and hit his friend with fury.
Benko’s friend, David, was very loved in the village and nobody explained why he went out with Benko, who was rude and violent.
Again the police stopped him but this time they were angry, Benko shouted “I am not an animal”, a phrase he always used when he was arrested and beaten.
First it was his parents and siblings, then his wife and children, and finally his only friend … Benko was definitely alone.
As Benko´s employees also received the ravages of his anger, they soon left him and the small company he had did not continue to work.
Benko was on the edge, alone in his house and with nothing to eat, unable to ask for help because he had earned the hatred of all the inhabitants.
One day Benko heard two men speaking that on leaving town they were asking for workers. Benko thought to himself “I will go, because nobody knows me there.”
And that is how he set out on course.
Indeed, there was work and this time Benko was willing to control his character.
It happened that on his way to work that he always came across a man with a friendly smile who wore white. Benko’s coworkers said he was a crazy monk. But he was a spiritual master.
Paradoxically Benko, despite his anger, was a man who asked God, but his impetus betrayed him.
Benko always thought about his family, his friend David, and that separation hurt him a lot.
That’s what he was doing when he crossed paths with the teacher again. Benko was very curious to know him because he had heard that he healed people.
Benko says good morning sir.
Good morning, the teacher replied.
Lord I would not want to bother you but I heard people say that you heal people.
That’s right … said the teacher touching his leafy white beard.
Sir, I do not know how to say it but … and Benko started crying. It was the first time that Benko cried.
Come closer, son told the teacher.
Do you want to heal your anger?
Yes teacher, I do not know how to tell you
If you want to tell me Master or mister or crazy monk you can do it.
You want to heal your anger? asked the teacher
Of course … if I have lost everything because of this.
Before anything, said the teacher, I must warn you that the path is very difficult and my methods aswell.
No matter what Master I will do everything necessary to recover my family and my friend.
Well then Listen to the following thing the teacher told him.
Look at these two terrains that are in front of your eyes, ther are my property, one is full of large trees and the other as you can see is empty.
You will continue to make your life, but every time you insult someone or attack them, you will immediately come to the forest and cut a tree.
Now every time you can contain yourself and not show up as a furious bull you will plant a tree in the empty field.
The thoughts are also considered said the teacher.
For this I will leave you here an ax to cut and also a Shovel to plant.
Benko was not convinced, cut a tree or plant another one? Will I be healed with this? Maybe that’s why they call him the crazy monk, Benko thought.
But his loneliness was so great and so was his suffering that he could not control himself and decided to take the challenge.
The next day he arrived to work and had a meeting with one of his companions, Benko held on as much as possible as not to hit him, but as he thought of it, at the exit he went to cut a tree.
Benko said, I did not physically assault my co-worker but as I thought of it I will cut a tree. He took the ax and between blow and blow he managed to bring it down. Benko was exhausted.
Benko already in his house said, perhaps when cutting a tree I release all my fury, that’s what the teacher seeks.
The next day he had another problem at work that almost ended in a fight. So he went back to the forest and cut another tree. Benko was somewhat bewildered and always thought if such a strange method would heal him.
The days and weeks went by and Benko was about to cut his tree number seven. But to be fair, let´s highlight that Benko had a tree planted in the empty field that represented the opposite of anger that is calm and meekness. When Benko was about to cut his tree number eight, the teacher appeared and with a smiling face said to him. How is pruning and sowing?
Not very good teacher Benko said, I never thought it would be so difficult, I’m a real failure, there are eight bad actions against a good one.
You are going well told the teacher because now you know the difference between good and bad, you just said it, before you could not even distinguish it.
What have you noticed Benko told the master as you cut the trees?
I have noticed master that every time I find it harder to cut the next tree. Is that master because I’m moving forward and every time the road becomes more difficult?
No, Benko, you should take out your ax, remember that you are on earth and not everything necessarily has a spiritual cause and he smiled.
Oh! and do not forget every time you cut a tree, take out that wood and give it as a gift.
Sometimes Benko did not understand the teacher because he thought that he was going to tell him that each time the spiritual load was stronger, however he ordered him to sharpen his ax.
One day Benko asked him. Master … What is anger?
It is a negative emotion Benko that is born in your brain, goes through your heart and ends in your fists.
When you feel anger you act impulsively losing the clarity to resolve a conflict, anger puts you on the defensive side when it is not necessary, sickens your liver, your kidneys, your heart and pushes you away from people.
Years passed and Benko, who was very persistent, continued cutting trees in the master’s forest and planting others in the empty space.
As the terrain time passes quickly, Benko was already close to 60 years old. His master seemed to never age. As usual, he came across the road to work.
The master told him. Benko let’s see your planting.
The master was proud, even though Benko almost left the Forrest without trees, he could also see that the land that was empty now was now full of trees and many of them were already big.
Master, I have not cut any trees for 5 years now, I think I have learned to control my anger and I will thank you for my whole life, but I would like to tell you the following:
Master I still have a huge pain, because my wife and children will never come back to me again, I do not even know about them, neither about my friend David.I thought that when I controlled my anger they would return.
Son come closer, look at the land that had the trees, now it is practically empty, but if you look closely the roots are still.
The roots are always the hardest and difficult to remove, the roots are the wounds and the pain that you provoked in each of the people you hit or insulted. And while those roots are there, the pain will still remain.
Master, I’m just an old fool … you want to tell me that if I take out all the roots of the land, the people I love will return to me?
Not literally, but it could help, remember that nothing is still written in its entirety.
Teacher Is it difficult to be a Master? Like everything in life, son it´s not easy.
What did you do before coming to my aid?
Well, I taught a passionate disciple named Rajiv and also helped an old fool who fights with lions and smiled.
Benko simply did not understand.
Teacher as it is already late, tomorrow I will start to take out the roots of the trees that I cut.
Benko told the master, remember that you are not so Young so work slowly.
The next day Benko was with another mood, he thought internally that if he took all the roots out, his wife, children and his friend David would return to him.
Benko arrived early to work and saw how one of the old workers was arguing with a newcomer worker.
Benko said, what’s wrong?
What happens is that the old worker said that this insolent boy who came has just started to shout at me and give me orders, as I did not pay attention to him he threatened to hit me.
As Benko had already changed he did not get into fights, and he was already around 60 years old, but this did not prevent Benko thinking that he should talk to the boy.
Benko told him to come closer, and told him: I was just as impulsive as you when I was your age, I did not let anyone contradict me and the only thing I got was losing my family and my friend. The boy said, I’m not interested in your old man stories and he hit him so hard in the face that Benko fell to the ground unconscious.
Benko returned home with his face red and his nose broken. On the way he ran into the master.
What happened Benko? Master a boy hit me with all his strength.
What did you feel, said the teacher?
Fright, pain, and a lot of sadness, it was like seeing myself in a mirror.
Remember that I told you that even if you change, there are still roots that you should take out and hopefully you will do it in this life.
Benko continued to take roots and plant trees, about the boy no one ever heard anything again, only that he had been fired.
Years passed and Benko stopped working, spent more time at home, had trouble walking, and only received the visit of the master.
Hi master, how are you?
Good and how about you? Master I would like to tell you something …
I know I have little time left to live, I also know that I made a great effort to overcome my anger and in the end I did it. But I will leave this world with the great sorrow of not having been able to recover my family and being able to help them as they deserved.
Son listen to me, do not think that the trees that you cut, the roots that you took out and the trees that you planted that now look big and leafy were lost time. Later you will receive a big surprise.
On a cold winter day at the age of 71, Benko changed his status. He did not understand his teacher, but until his last heartbeat, he waited for the teacher’s surprise.
Benko in his last years of earthly life came very close to the teachings of the master and therefore he knew that when he disembodied he would be received by a guide and also by other brothers.
This is how Benko went through the light tunnel and went through the whole process without major problems. Now product of its merits and efforts he reached a quite pleasant plane.
One day Benko talking with his guide told him.
When I was on earth I was always waiting for a promise that my master made, he spoke of a surprise, but I disembodied and I could never see it. What did he mean?
Well it’s time you know that surprise, I’ll take you with the necessary permits so you can see it. You will only observe.
The guide spiritually led Benko to the road where he first saw his master.
Benko broke into tears of happiness upon seeing his master.
That’s my teacher said excited to the guide!
The teacher is with a man, said Benko, and it’s the same boy who once hit me but who is now older. How can my teacher talk to him?
The guide said listen to the conversation.
Master told the man, they told me that you were healing people and I need your help.
Tell me, son.
What happens teacher I have lost friends, work and even my family because of my aggressive nature.
Well you want to heal
Of course
Well, pay close attention … in front of you there are two fields, one full of leafy trees and the one next to it is totally empty.
Every time you break into fury you will have to cut a tree, also count your aggressive thoughts, and every time you can dominate and not attack you will plant a tree in the empty land.
Here you have this old ax and this old shovel.
Master, do you believe that by doing this I will be able to recover my family? I think that as possible son, because several years ago your deceased father prepared your land taking out all the roots and at the same time planted many trees so that I could cure your anger.
Benko just cried and said thank you master, you never cease to amaze me.
At a distance you hear the teacher say, son you can release your weapons, your war is over, and your wound has healed. God bless you and close the door.
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