True happiness comes from having a sense of inner peace and
contentment, which in turn must be achieved by cultivating
altruism, love and compassion, and by eliminating anger,
selfishness and greed.
The compassionate mind is very important. Fear, anger, jealousy are
based on a self-centered attitude. By developing a sense of caring
for others' well-being your heart automatically opens and that
brings transparency, straightforwardness and honesty, which leads
to friendship. We are social animals, and one individual...'s
survival relies entirely on the rest of the community.
If you have peace of mind, when you meet with problems and
difficulties they won’t disturb your inner peace. You’ll be able to
employ your human intelligence more effectively. But, if your
mental state is disturbed, full of emotion, it is very difficult to
cope with problems, because the mind that is full of emotion is...
biased, unable to see reality. So whatever you do will be
unrealistic and naturally fail.
Material progress and a higher standard of living bring us greater
comfort and health, but do not lead to a transformation of the
mind, which is the only thing capable of providing lasting peace.
Profound happiness, unlike fleeting pleasures, is spiritual in
nature. It depends on the happiness of others and it is based on
love and affection.
According to my own experience, the highest level of inner calm
comes from the development of love and compassion. The more
concerned we are with the happiness of others, the more we increase
our own well-being. Friendliness and warmth towards others allow us
to relax and help us to dispel any sense of fear or insecurity so
we can overcome whatever obstacles we face.
Many problems that confront us today are created by man, whether
they are violent conflicts, destruction of the environment, poverty
or hunger. These problems can be resolved thanks to human efforts
by understanding that we are brother and sister and by developing
this sense of closeness. We must cultivate a universal
...responsibility toward each other and extend it to the planet
that we have to share.
My call for a spiritual revolution is not a call for a religious
revolution, nor for a way of life that is otherworldly It is a call
for a radical reorientation away from our habitual preoccupation
with self, a call to turn toward the wider community
Too much of a self-centered attitude creates mistrust and suspicion
in others, which can in turn lead to fear. But if you have more of
an open mind, and you cultivate a sense of concern for others'
well-being, then, no matter what others' attitudes are, you can
keep your inner peace.
Although I personally believe that our human nature is
fundamentally gentle and compassionate, I feel it is not enough
that this is our underlying nature; we must also develop an
appreciation and awareness of that fact. And changing how we
perceive ourselves, through learning and understanding, can have a
very real imp...act on how we interact with others and how we
conduct our daily lives.
I feel that compassionate thought is the most precious thing there
is. It is something that only we human beings can develop. And if
we have a good heart, a warm heart, warm feelings, we will be happy
and satisfied ourselves, and our friends will experience a friendly
and peaceful atmosphere as well. This can be experi...enced
community to community, country to country, continent to
continent.
Our life depends on others so much that at the root of our
existence is a fundamental need for love. That is why it is good to
cultivate an authentic sense of responsibility and concern for the
welfare of others.
Neither peace nor war exists independently of us. Political and
military leaders have grave responsibilities with respect to peace
- but they too are members of the society that we as individuals
help to create. Peace in the world depends on peace in the hearts
of individuals; this depends on each of us practising ethi...cs by
disciplining our negative thoughts and emotions, and developing
basic spiritual qualities.
Today, the values of democracy, open society, respect for human
rights, and equality are becoming recognized all over the world as
universal values. To my mind there is an intimate connection
between democratic values, such as transparency, the rule of law
and freedom of information, and the fundamental values of human
goodness.
I am especially encouraged to see that thinking of consumerism as
an end in itself seems to be giving way to an appreciation that we
humans must conserve the earth's resources.
When we speak of a calm state of mind or peace of mind, we
shouldn't confuse that with an insensitive state of apathy. Having
a calm or peaceful state of mind doesn't mean being spaced out or
completely empty. Peace of mind or a calm state of mind is rooted
in affection and compassion and is sensitive and responsive to
others.
People often expect the other person to respond first in a positive
way, instead of taking the initiative to create that possibility. I
feel that's wrong; it can act as a barrier that just promotes a
feeling of isolation from others. To overcome feelings of isolation
and loneliness, your underlying attitude makes a tre...mendous
difference - approaching others with the thought of compassion in
your mind is the best way.
Even our physical structure seems more suited to feelings of love
and compassion. We can see how a calm, affectionate, wholesome
state of mind benefits our health and physical well-being.
Conversely, feelings of frustration, fear, agitation, and anger can
be destructive to our health. This is why we are impelled to seek
happiness.
Hatred, jealousy and excessive attachment cause suffering and
agitation. I feel compassion can help us overcome these
disturbances and let us return to a calm state of mind. Compassion
is not just being kind to your friend. That involves attachment
because it is based on expectation. Compassion is when you do
something good without any expectations based on realizing that
“the other person is also just like me”.
There is no denying that consideration of others is worthwhile and
that our happiness is inextricably bound up with the happiness of
others. There is no denying that if society suffers, we ourselves
suffer, and the more our hearts and minds are afflicted with
ill-will, the more miserable we become. We can reject religi...on,
ideology, received wisdom, but we cannot escape the need for love
and compassion.