As human beings we all have the potential to be happy and compassionate people, and we also have the potential to be miserable and harmful to others. The potential for all these things is present within each of us. If we want to be happy, then the important thing is to try to promote the positive and useful aspects in each of us and to try to reduce the negative. Doing negative things may occasionally seem to bring some short-term satisfaction, but in the long term they will always bring us misery. Positive acts always bring us inner strength.
From his own limited experience, the Dalai Lama is convinced that through constant training we can indeed develop our minds. Our positive attitudes, thoughts, and outlook can be enhanced, and their negative counterparts can be reduced. Wishing and praying alone will not transform your mind; you also need reasonreason ultimately grounded in your own experience. Old habits, especially mental ones, resist quick solutions. But with effort over time and conviction grounded in reason, profound changes in mental attitudes are possible.
In The Book of Joy, when tough questions were asked. How can we even consider being joyous in the face of so much suffering in the world?most often the answer was compassion. Not just feeling the suffering of another, but taking action to alleviate that suffering. There were tears shed during their conversations. Joy for them did not mean laughing all the time. It included deep moments of prayer and meditation, and an honest recalling of their own suffering and of those near and dear to them.
Compassion and love can be defined as positive thoughts and feelings that give rise to hope, courage, determination and inner strength. In the Buddhist tradition, compassion is the wish for another being to be free from suffering; love is wanting them to have happiness. Genuine compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. It applies equally to all beings. As long as another person wishes for peace and happiness and wishes to overcome suffering, on that basis we develop genuine concern for their problem.
Perspective is another pillar. When you change the way you see the world, you change the world you see. Although the Dalai Lama was exiled from his own country, he has said he is happy to have the chance to travel the world and spread the word about compassion and kindness. In one touching moment, when a young child broke down in tears recalling their journey from Tibet to India, he shifted their perspective. He reminded them that they had warmth and shelter and clothing, and by studying hard they could go back and alleviate the suffering of others with their knowledge and skills.
We all share an identical need for love. On the basis of this commonality, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet is a brother or sister. No matter how different the dress or behavior, there is no significant division between us and other people. Humanity is one and this small planet is our only home. If we are to protect this home of ours, each of us needs to experience a vivid sense of universal altruism and compassion.
It is only when the individual accepts personal responsibility that he or she begins to take some initiative. A genuine change must first come from within the individual. You do not have to become a Buddhist to practice Buddhism. You can take the lessons of what benefits you and help to shape a better society and a better world for all of us. Compassion, perspective, gratitude, forgiveness, generositythese are qualities we are encouraged to cultivate in our lives to find deep joy, beyond the ups and downs of our emotional state. In the end, compassion is central to a joyful life for all.