"No matter how much we try to impress them, people are going to think whatever they wish about us. We might as well relax, because we don't have any control over what opinion they will form of us or when they will change it. If we behave naturally without trying to manipulate the image others have of us and are content with whatever they wish to think or say about us, others may actually like us. That's what this person is teaching us. Because of this, we have to put our palms together and say, 'Thank you for teaching me that I don't need to try to create an image. Nor do I need to be attached to what people think and say about me. What I need to do is to be happy within myself. If I can be mindful of my motivations and act sincerely, I'll be happy with my decisions and I won't need others to approve of me. I'll know that ultimately my karma is my responsibility and that what others say and think about me cannot make me take rebirth in a fortunate realm or an unfortunate abode.'
"This person who is deriding us in a public gathering is throwing us back on ourselves. Instead of seeking others' approval in order to feel good about ourselves, she is teaching us that if our motivations are good, it doesn't matter what other people think. She's teaching us to be content with who we are and to be virtuous instead of simply looking virtuous. She's teaching us to be responsible instead of seeking to look responsible."
