How can we override feelings of jealousy?
Wisdom from the Dalai Lama
In June 2015, his Holiness the Dalai Lama returned to Australia for the 10th time to share his timeless wisdom. Here, we share some of his valuable insights about jealousy.
Q. As humans, we are imprisoned by our own egos, insecurities and jealousies. How can we override our fears of inadequacy and inferiority to allow ourselves to be more kind, compassionate and warm hearted?
“Jealousy makes us miserable and prevents us from progressing spiritually. If it is expressed as aggression, it also harms other people. It is a very negative emotion.
“For a start, it is possible to divide every kind of happiness and suffering into two main categories: mental and physical. Of the two, it is the mind that exerts the greatest influence over most of us. Unless we are gravely ill or deprived of basic necessities, our physical condition plays a secondary role in life. If the body is content, we virtually ignore it. The mind, however, registers every event, no matter how small; hence we should devote our most serious efforts to bringing about mental peace.
“From my own limited experience I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquillity comes from the development of love and compassion.
“The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of wellbeing becomes. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.”
NEXT: find out about Spirituality without organised relgion or try our 22 happy habits
By Heather Jerrery and Tianna Nadlin
