Gossip

There is a story of a woman who went to a great teacher and asked him if gossiping about others was really all that harmful.

The great teacher asked her to go home and cut a pillow full of feathers in half and to bring it back to him the following day.

When returning to the teacher the following day she presented the pillow, in halves, to the teacher. He asked her why the pillow was so small now. She answered that once she cut the pillow open most of the feathers blew all over the room and even out the windows and this was what was left of the pillow.

He stated to her then, "and this is what becomes of your tales and stories of others." Once you begin to open it up, the stories will fly around and be swept away by the wind. You will have no control over where these tales will land."