Why Practice Buddhism

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

“Because what we are all seeking is happiness and what none of us want is suffering, we need to abandon the real cause of suffering and create the unmistaken cause of happiness. The actual cause of happiness is not outside. Even though people commonly believe that suffering is connected to external situations, actually these are just the conditions for suffering. Similarly, the actual cause of happiness is not outside, it is within the mind. 

For example, when somebody gets angry with you, at that time think to yourself that this person is the only one in your life with whom you can learn patience — the healthy, peaceful, happy, pure mind of patience, which brings so much peace and happiness to your own life, as well as to your companions, family and country, and to the rest of the world and all living beings. If you don’t practice patience and instead get angry, that habit leaves the negative imprint of anger on the mental continuum again and again. Anger destroys your own peace and happiness and brings so much suffering to your life. It harms your companion, friends and family, as well as the people in your country, in the rest of the world and all living beings. 

So you can see how practicing patience with this person is the source of all your happiness now and in the future right up to the peerless happiness, the complete bliss of full enlightenment. And it is also the source of peace and happiness for others, starting from your family and going out to all living beings.”