Thankfulness -- Buddha and His disciples A story told by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Buddha had disciples and he wished to send them out into the world to teach, so he asked them questions to see if they were prepared as he would have them be. “When you go to the East and to the West,” said the Buddha, “and the people shut their doors to you and refuse to speak to you, what will you do?” -The disciples answered and said: “We shall be very thankful that they do us no harm.”-“Then if they do you harm and mock, what will you do?”-“We shall be very thankful that they do not give us worse treatment.”-“If they throw you into prison?”-“We shall still be grateful that they do not kill us.”-“What if they were to kill you?” the Master asked for the last time. “Still,” answered the disciples, “we will be thankful, for they cause us to be martyrs. What more glorious fate is there than this, to die for the glory of God?” And the Buddha said: “Well done!”

'Abdu'l-Baha, 'Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 63