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TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 25

the part of our intelligence and brain that functions If we pay attention only to that level, that’s not enough.
to differentiate right from wrong and make the best Genuine happiness and satisfaction must come from
decision, that works very poorly. Even great leaders within.
experience it like that.
The basic elements for that are compassion and human
Therefore, compassion and affection help the brain to affection, and these come from biology. As an infant,
function more smoothly. Secondarily, compassion gives us our survival depends solely on affection. If affection is
inner strength; it gives us self-confidence and that reduces there, we feel safe. If it’s not there, we feel anxiety and
fear, which, in turn, keeps our mind calm. Therefore, insecure. If we become separated from our mother,
compassion has two functions: it causes our brain to we cry. If we are in our mother’s arms and held tight,
function better and it brings inner strength. These, then, warmly, then we feel happy and we’re quiet. As a baby,
are the causes of happiness. I feel it is like that. this is a biological factor. One scientist for instance, my
teacher, a biologist who is involved with anti-nuclear
Now other faculties, of course, are also good for violence – he told me that after birth, a mother’s
happiness. Everybody likes money, for example. If we physical touch for several weeks is very important for
have money, then we can enjoy good facilities. Usually, enlarging the baby’s brain and development. It brings
we consider these the topmost important things, but a feeling of safety and comfort and this leads to proper
I think it’s not like that. Material comfort can come development of physical growth, including the brain.
through physical effort, but mental comfort has to
come through mental effort. If we go to a shop and offer So, the seed of compassion and affection is not
money to the shopkeeper and say that we want to buy something that comes from religion: it comes from
peace of mind, they will say they have nothing to sell. biology. We each came from our mother’s womb and
Many shopkeepers will feel that this is something mad each of us survived due to our mother’s care and
and they will laugh at us. Some injection or pill can affection. In the Indian tradition, we consider birth
maybe bring temporary happiness or calmness of mind, from a lotus in a pure land. That sounds very nice,
but not at the fullest level. We can see with the example but perhaps the people there have more affection for
of counseling that we need to tackle emotions through lotuses than for people. So being born from a mother’s
discussion and reasoning. Thus, we must use a mental womb is better. Then we are already equipped with
approach. Therefore whenever I give talks, I say that we the seed of compassion. So, those are the causes of
modern people think too much of external development. happiness. EH