IN THIS PRESENT GENERATION, in a way, we have reached a high level of development. At the same time, we human beings are facing many problems. Certain problems are the result of external or natural events. These we cannot avoid. Others derive from our own mental defects—something we lack inside. Because of them we have extra suffering. Now unless we have the right attitude in our minds toward society and mankind, material development alone is not sufficient. This is quite clear. If we adopt a right attitude, however, then these man-made problems might not occur.
The basic point is compassion: love for others, concern for their suffering, less selfishness. I feel compassionate thought is most precious. Only we human beings can develop it in our hearts. If we have this—a good heart, a warm heart—we ourselves will be happy and satisfied. Our friends also will be. And if we extend it from nation to nation, country to country, continent to continent, perhaps we can come to enjoy a friendly atmosphere and real peace.
The question is: how to develop compassion? Basically, this has to do with the feeling of “I.” On a conventional level, there is an “I.” “I want, I do not want”—one’s own experience. Because of that sense of “I,” we naturally want happiness and do not want suffering. In addition, we have the right to try to obtain happiness and to avoid suffering. Now, as I myself have this feeling and right, others also have the same feeling and right. The difference is that when you say “I,” you are referring to just one single person, whereas others are limitless. You can visualize this. On one side imagine your own “I,” which so far has concentrated only on selfish motives. Put it close before you. Beyond it imagine others: limitless beings. Your present self becomes a third person looking on. You can see then that the feeling of wanting happiness and not wanting suffering is equal between yourself and others: absolutely the same. The right to obtain happiness is also identical. No matter how renowned or wealthy the selfishly motivated person is, he or she is only one person. No matter how poor the others are, they are infinite. Naturally, the many are more important than the one. So you see, if I use other infinite beings for selfish ends, then it is absolutely wrong—even if I can, I may not be happy. However, if I contribute or serve as much as I can, then that will be a source of great joy.
Through this attitude you can develop real love for others. This type of compassionate development can even extend to your enemy. Our ordinary sense of love is very much related to attachment. To a large extent, we love our family members because they are attached to us—“my” mother, “my” father, “my” children, and so on. But this love is centered on a selfish, possessive motive.
We develop true compassion only when we clearly recognize the importance of others. If you cultivate compassion from this viewpoint, then it will extend even to your enemy. In order to generate such an attitude, we must have tolerance and patience. Without tolerance, it is difficult to develop this. Now who can help you cultivate tolerance? Your enemy. Your enemy can teach you tolerance. Your own teacher, your own parent, cannot. So the enemy is actually very helpful to you. The enemy is really your best friend, your best teacher. If you can think that way, if you can cultivate this kind of attitude, then you will experience infinite compassion for all beings.
According to my own experience, the greatest achievements come from the most difficult periods in life. If you always choose an easy path, then one day when you face certain problems, you’ll feel depressed. It is mainly by encountering difficulties that you learn. From them you gain inner strength, courage, determination. Now again, who gives you the opportunity to develop these qualities? Your enemy does. It does not mean that you obey or bow down to him. Sometimes, depending on the enemies’ attitude, you may have to take strong action. However, though a forceful response may be necessary, it can be undertaken without losing your deep inner sense of calm and compassion. It is possible. Some people may feel or think, “Now the Dalai Lama is talking nonsense,” but this is not the case. If you practice, if you test this through your own experience, then you will find it is possible. Okay?
I call this kind of love that I am describing: religion. This sort of compassion is the real essence of religion. On this level there is hardly any difference between Buddhism, Christianity, or any other faith. All religions place emphasis on bettering human beings, on improving man. Brotherhood, love—these things all religions have in common. Therefore, I always feel—as well as say to other Buddhists—that the question of nirvana will come later. There is not much hurry. But in day-to-day life, if you lead a good life—honest, compassionate, less selfish—then it will automatically lead to nirvana. In contrast, if you talk a lot about nirvana but do not bother much about day-to-day practice, then any enlightenment you reach will not be complete. You will not attain correct understanding because, in reality, your daily practice is nothing. So you see, we must implement these good teachings in life. Whether you believe in God or not doesn’t matter. Whether you believe in Buddha or not doesn’t matter. You must lead a good life. Having good food, good clothes, and good shelter is not sufficient. What is needed is a good motive.
Now, in this present world atmosphere, some people may think that religion is only for those who remain in remote places: that it is not needed much in the business or political fields. My answer is no. All actions, except certain minor ones, are founded in motivations. In politics, if your motive is good, you’re a genuinely honest politician; if not, you’re merely practicing “dirty politics.” Politics are not bad in and of themselves—they are needed to solve many human problems—but when they are practiced by a selfish, common person, then there is something lacking. This is true not only in politics but in religion as well. If I hold a self-centered motive, then my religious practice becomes bad. So here you can see that motivation is all-important. Therefore, my simple practice is to love and respect others and to be honest, and these are teachings that apply to those in politics and business as well as everywhere else.
At the present moment, if you look deeply at society, there are many problems. Deep down almost everyone has a feeling of unrest. Because of this feeling, people often lack a clear understanding on how to solve their problems. Now, I am not criticizing others, but you see, with real lasting peace inside, anger and hatred become impossible. Conversely, benefiting others, even if you want to, becomes impossible if deep down your motive is selfish. We may talk a lot about peace, love, justice, but when certain things affect us personally, we forget all of it. We may then say that it is necessary to make war or suppress others. When anyone says such things, it is a clear sign that something is lacking within.
My feeling is simply this. If in this present atmosphere, in which everything depends on money and power, and there is not much concern about the real value of love, if we human beings now lose the value of justice, of compassion, of honesty, then in the future we will face more difficulty; more suffering will come. So it is hard but absolutely worthwhile to try. What is important is that we try our best, and whether we succeed or not is a different question. Even if we do not succeed in this life, that is all right; but at least we have tried to build a better human society on the basis of love. This is what I feel, and these are my thoughts on the value of religion to human society.