We Have a Moral Obligation to Be of Help to Others
In Buddhism, developing empathy towards others is crucial. This is because, regardless of whether we are talking about humans or any other sentient being, all beings prefer happiness to suffering.
Question:
You emphasize the importance of people developing compassion. I want to ask what you think prevents people from developing compassion? What are the roadblocks for developing compassion?
Khenpo Sodargye：
The practice of compassion and altruism requires a training of the mind. Accordingly, we should offer help to all beings who might need support and protection.
In Singapore there was once a rather ordinary lady who devoted her entire life to helping unfortunate people. Her name was Xu Zhe, and she lived 113 years. She said, “The earth is my home so helping the needy is my obligation.” Though she was an ordinary lady, her words really touched a lot of people. Whether humans or other sentient beings, everyone wants happiness rather than suffering. Therefore, altruism is a very important concept for everyone to grasp.
