An ultimate goal of Buddhism is to find pure happiness for yourself, and then to create happiness for others. This is a very important aspect of Buddhism, and I will address it in more detail as I continue my research. Regardless, because creating happiness is a foundational goal of Buddhism, there are methods and teachings in Buddhism to help facilitate this process, both for yourself and for others. The most powerful method to creating happiness is to practice compassion. As the Dalai Lama once said, "Happiness never decreases by being shared," and this is emblematic of Buddhism's emphasis on compassion.
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| Compassion:) |
Although hypothetical situations are completely theoretical and may not reflect reality 100%, they are still useful for illustrating certain examples and ideas. So, please allow me use a hypothetical example to paint a picture of Buddhism's mentality when promoting compassion.
College coaches from all my favorite schools are coming to watch me play soccer in the final of The Biggest Tournament Ever. If I play well, college coaches will like me, and they will recruit me to their schools where I can succeed and pursue whatever I want in life. No pressure, right? Well, thirty minutes into the game, I miscontrol the ball and lose possession. The other team passes once, twice, three times, shoots, and then scores. My team is down one to nothing, and before I can blink, my coach is calling me every foul name under the sun and I find myself on the bench. I am dejected and depressed, and we end up losing the match. After the game, I go to the grocery store to buy diced tomatoes so my Mom can make pasta. At the check out counter, the cashier notices my not-too-happy mood as I hand her some money. Noticing my uniform, she says that she used to play soccer, and that she guessed I didn't have a good game. I tell her that she's correct. She smiles warmly and tells me that she's had a few of those in her day, and that there are more important things in life than the result of a soccer game. Remarkably, I smile, and realize that she is correct. Relief! Somehow, my mood begins to brighten. Now, when I go home, I treat my family with kindess and respect. This prevents the fight that may have happened if I remained sulking and angry, where I may have taken my mood out on my parents and brother. Yelling, hurtful words, and tears are all spared-- just because a cashier happened to show me compassion. Now, when my brother goes to school, he is happy and refrains from fighting or being disrespectful to teachers. My Dad is nice to his doctor, and so his doctor is more mindful of his work, potentially saving my father from some terminal illness. My Mom... Anyway, you get the idea.
Compassion has the power to make people happy. When happiness is all that matters in life (a Buddhist perspective), this becomes quite the powerful tool. Understanding compassion helps me understand the true nature of Buddhism, kind of like how understanding the skeletal system helps an Anatomy student understand the true nature of the human body. However, I still have much more to learn! Follow my research and I promise to share all the knowledge I can, and I'll even share it with an extra side dish of compassion!
:)
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