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“So-and-so is sick. So-and-so is suffering financially. I must do my best to give them encouragement.” To think in this way, to offer prayers and take action for others’ happiness—this is the behavior of a true Buddhist.

When people become pessimistic, it is as if they hide themselves behind dark clouds that prevent joy and hope from entering their hearts. Buddhism is a teaching of supreme optimism. It is a teaching in which there is no despair; instead there is boundless hope, opening the possibility for boundless happiness.
A life lived without purpose or value, the kind in which one doesn’t know the reason why one was born, is joyless and lackluster. To just live, eat and die without any real sense of purpose surely represents a life pervaded by animality. More
“So-and-so is sick. So-and-so is suffering financially. I must do my best to give them encouragement.” To think in this way, to offer prayers and take action for others’ happiness—this is the behavior of a true Buddhist.
Throughout his life, Shakyamuni encouraged people with his clear, sonorous voice. A Buddhist text describes how Shakyamuni warmheartedly welcomed everyone he met, expressing his joy at meeting them. He showed affection, joy and gentleness in all his interactions. To put others at ease and encourage them to speak up, Shakyamuni would always break the ice by initiating conversation. More
Wisdom is invisible. It can only be gauged by a person’s actual conduct and behavior.
The point where Buddhism radically departs from the thought and religion that had existed previously is that it uncovered within the individual’s own life the “Law,” or limitless inner power, for resolving all suffering on the most essential level.Buddhism is a teaching of unparalleled humanism that believes in the boundless potential within human beings.
Buddhism regards all colors, all fragrances, all inanimate and living things—birds, beasts, humans, and flowers, every blade of grass and tree—all the varied and beautiful phenomena in the universe without exception, as manifestations of the Buddha nature.

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