佛头着粪 — “Dung on Buddha's head”

During the reign of Emperor Muzong of the Tang Dynasty, a scholar named Cui Qun was visiting the East Temple in Hunan. He noticed birds defecating on the Buddha statues and remarked to the abbot that the birds showed no reverence and lacked Buddha-nature.

The abbot responded, "On the contrary, the birds possess Buddha-nature. They choose to relieve themselves on the Buddha's head precisely because they understand Buddha's boundless compassion and tolerance for all living beings, knowing that the Buddha would not mind or be bothered by such trivial external matters."

This story highlights the Buddha's ultimate compassion and forbearance, even in the face of perceived disrespect.