from
Volume 5 of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion
by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and
Ven. Thubten Chodron
Wisdom Publications
We live in a society where we are completely interdependent. This is especially true now that people’s careers and knowledge are narrowed to specialized fields and we must depend on one another to complete our own projects. If we look out only for our own welfare, how will we be happy in an interdependent world? If we don’t care about the environment we share, we will create many difficulties and problems that future generations will experience.
We see that countries that care only for their own citizens exploit other nations, thereby evoking their ire. Similarly, groups that work only for their own benefit soon find themselves abandoned by others. If one member of a family is self-centered, the other members lose their wish to help him.
If we take whatever is good for ourselves and ignore others’ plight, we soon find ourselves living amidst a group of unhappy people. Their unhappiness will surely affect us; they will complain, they will resent our success, they might even try to steal our things.
On the other hand, if we work for the benefit of society as a whole, there is a better chance that those around us will be content and kind, and this will certainly make our life more pleasant!
On a personal level, if we are self-centered, we will lack genuine friends and will be lonely. When we have problems, others will not extend a helping hand. However, when we are kind and fair, others reciprocate and, as a result, we feel cared for and respected.