Suffering, Buddhism, and Helping others are terms that all go together. Suffering is a core Buddhist teaching, explained by the Gautama Buddha during his experience of enlightenment in The Four Noble Truths. The Bodhisattva’s essence is “to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.” Buddhism is all about the cesation of suffering, and helping others realize this.
To be of help others, you first need a solid foundation. However, after developing your own foundation and strength, you will naturally feel the want to help others to lesson their sufferings. A noble goal, but not an easy goal. To be of real help to someone is to address them on their levels, and allow them to see with the aid of your mindfulness something inside their mind. If you talk over or under the person you’re trying to help, you may potentially only make things worse.
Using the Eightfold Path, with focus on Right View, Right Speech, and Right Intent, real treatment and help can be given to others;
See the situation from many points of view, develop the right view.
Speak to the person skillfully. Aim at their level, using their words and mannorisims. Help them out, shin the light of mindfulness through your speech.
Check your intentions for offering aid. If your intentions are egoic or selfish, it’s not possible to help someone else, and you’ll end up burrying yourself.
From personal experiences, helping others is greatly rewarding. I’ve found that as long as my intention is pure, that I am really ‘present’ and really listening to the other person, with the odd well placed comment, they generally work their own way out of suffering. There’s a simple joy in seeing burdens being lifted and replaced by a smile.
Short discussion on Suffering and the Four Noble Truths
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“To be of real help to someone is to address them on their levels, and allow them to see with the aid of your mindfulness something inside their mind.”
I’ve often thought about this as I make my daily decisions about who to spend time with. As I grow older, the particular kinds of suffering undergone by friends and family have become more evident. Through verbal and physical manifestations, I notice pain that I’ve gone through before, and emerged from.
The development of this kind of observation hasn’t helped me – at least so far – be of much assistance to the suffering around me. I haven’t really figured out how to address people on any other level than the one I’m on.
Maybe I just need to surround myself with more “successful” people, so my encounters with those who suffer don’t send me reeling back to their level.
A very thought-provoking post. Thanks.
Wade,
I love how you said that a well placed comment will generally help someone work their way out of suffering.
I notice that I do this when I go for a walk. Instead of a comment I watch for the elegance in every day life. If I’m in a bad mood I try to notice the beauty in the little details like a hummingbird or a dead caterpillar. Noticing such simple beauty in everything that we come across is a great way to release our suffering and open to the joy all around us.
Keep up the thoughtful work,
Karl
Very nice pointer/tip to release the self from suffering Karl.
Cardozo; thanks for your comments and kind words. There’s a tough balancing act at play, both internally and externally. The roles and conditions, like everything in this world are constantly changing.
Peace,
Wade