March 15, 2008 - Buddhism and Helping Your Neighbor

f we haven’t witnessed the perennial suffering around us, it is because we have not looked with compassionate eyes. Once we do, we look for ways to alleviate the suffering of those in our community whether by group action or by individual effort.

Here are five attributes any person can apply to help others: generosity, ethical behavior, patience, effort and concentration. Generosity is the unconditional giving of your caring heart, what material aid you can and not shying away from unpleasant sights. Ethical behavior is not increasing the suffering of another by judging them; the focus is on loving kindness and lessening their suffering.

Patience is not responding to another with distaste or annoyance at how they arrived in their condition. We will all suffer illness or distress and we will all die. By being patient with others, we are also being kind to ourselves. Effort is the physical energy to actually do something and not just talk about it. It is also realizing that even if you can’t solve world hunger, you can certainly help one hungry person. Concentration is focusing your attention on the problem and not the mistakes or the personality of the sufferer.

In times of our own plenty and good health, it is easy to ignore the sick, the dying and the impoverished around us. By becoming compassionately aware of those in need in our community, we can take action to alleviate the suffering that is around us.