A Force for Good
The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World
Daniel
Goleman
For decades,
the Dalai Lama has travelled the world, meeting with people from a wealth of
countries who differ greatly in their background, social status and viewpoint,
bringing them his own individual wisdom and compassion. In his encounters with
everyone from the inhabitants of shantytowns in São Paulo and Soweto to heads
of state in Davos and Washington D.C., the Dalai Lama saw similar problems: a
set of values that have helped the very rich to advance beyond the
multitudinous poor, a disregard for the environment that could lead to global
catastrophe and governments in paralysis, bereft of positive, progressive
policies of any sort.
Amazon
Book Description
Main Ideas
of the Book
According
to the Dalai Lama, most of the world’s problems stem from lack of compassion
and moral liability
When we
replace our negativity with compassion and love, we become more dedicated to
the well-being of everyone around us. If we carefully listen to both science
and religion, and what they try to teach us, we can truly become a force for
good.
We
often act out of self-interest and ignore our moral obligations towards others.
But, if humans have the power to exert negativity, then we might also have the
power to exert equivalent positivity. This is what the Dalai Lama calls a force
for good.
Controlling
your feelings is not as same as suppressing them. Bottling up negative emotions
can lead to uncontrollable outbursts. It’s best to stay mindful when dealing
with powerful emotions. When we are able to understand negative emotions, it
becomes easier to channel them into positive actions.
Compassion
is deep in our nature and does not come from religion.
Compassion
is not religion, it is superior to it. In fact, it is rooted in the way we are.
Moreover, our bodies have built-in needs for positive emotions. These emotions
help to improve our immune system and lower the risk of heart disease. Above
all, we’re psychologically disposed to seek comfort in affection, compassion
and a sense of belonging.
Three
principles exemplify compassion in action: fairness, transparency and accountability.
By treating everyone equally, remaining open and honest, and taking
responsibility for mistakes, we can create a powerful form of compassion.
Spirituality
and science are mutually inclusive.
Most people
dismiss the Dalai Lama’s Buddhist methods as “just religion,” but these methods
have been scientifically proven to be effective in a number of contexts.
We need
a compassionate economy that blends entrepreneurial spirit with social
responsibility.
Most
problems arise from lack of moral compassion on the part of the people that
implement the system, and not from the system itself.
There
is a need for compassionate economy where entrepreneurship is accompanied by a
sound social support system and taxes on wealth. In other words, we need for-profit
companies with the hearts of non-profits.
This
movement may prove to be very successful at turning business into a force for
good. Both the privileged and the underprivileged play important roles in
creating social change.
All
humans share the same potential. Unfortunately, we don’t always share the same
opportunities. Both advantaged and disadvantaged groups are equally responsible
for working together toward change. Rather than looking down on marginalized
groups, the privileged should do their part by learning about what should be
done in order to benefit the less fortunate.
Humans’
have the ability to improve their own lives, and psychologists have described
this phenomenon in many different terms. Carol Dweck, a Stanford psychologist,
refers to it as mindset: the belief that you can succeed. The more we try, the
more likely we are to succeed.
Another
psychologist, Angela Duckworth of the University of Pennsylvania, calls it
grit: persevering toward long-term goals despite obstacles.
An
obsession with profit and our tendency to block out guilt has placed our planet
under threat.
Cognitive
scientist Elke Weber explains that our apparently shameless exploitation of the
planet comes from our ability to block out the guilt we feel about it. As
individuals, it’s our responsibility to stop ourselves from tuning out. One
simple way to do this is using a “handprint” as a way of tracking our personal
impacts and the sum total of our better ecological practices.
Positive
statements and individual friendships are powerful solutions for conflict.
Children
need an education of the heart
In a
world where academic achievement is everything, the Dalai Lama believes that
modern schooling needs a reform that prioritizes the heart. Mind training is
one way to educate heart. Mind training centres on improving a student’s
ability to concentrate, regulate and reflect on their thoughts.
‘The
Dalai Lama’s proposed education of the heart covers the basics of how the mind
works: the dynamics of our emotions; skills for healthy regulation of emotional
impulse; the cultivation of attention, empathy and caring; learning to handle
conflicts non-violently; and, above all, a sense of oneness with humanity.’
When
things seem dire, consider the situation from a long-term perspective.
The
power of change lies with individuals. Being able to maintain a positive outlook
is important, as is the ability to act on it and persist. Rather than only
talking about creating change, we’ve got to just do it.
Ruchika
Verma
You can purchase this wonderful book from Amazon.
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