(Photo by Chen Ya Yin)
Someone shared with Master Cheng Yen, “I have a friend who is happy to help others, but that friend thinks witnessing too much sadness could lead one into depression.”
The Master responded:
When you see someone leading a miserable life, you should be grateful to the person for showing you the different realities of life and be alerted of the need to cultivate more merit. Suppose you are only impacted by the tragic situation you saw and kept dwelling in the negative emotions without making any effort to change lives in a positive way. In that case, that is how you will likely develop depression.
If the mind remains stuck in a state of sadness, it is as good as finding disputes in human affairs. The state of feeling greatly impacted by the tragedy is a form of obstacle due to knowledge. In the face of a tragic situation, the right attitude is to be vigilant and not fearful. We should nurture our minds properly and not let them be driven towards a dead end. Just be reminded that helping others is part of our duty as humans in this world, and do what we should do, that’s all. Overthinking and complicating things will only trap us emotionally and make us fearful.
Translated by the Tzu Chi Singapore translation team
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