Rime Buddhist Center

Monastery & Tibetan Institute of Studies
"Achieving Peace Through Compassion"
700 West Pennway
Kansas City, Missouri 64108
(816) 471-7073
Lama Chuck Stanford
www.rimecenter.org

The following is Lama Chuck's monthly column that appeared in the Kansas City Star
newspaper on Saturday, January 29, 2005.

QUESTION: "Why is the world so lacking in love (throughout the world we see evidence)?"

ANSWER: If our view of the world is based upon the news media it would be easy to believe that the world is lacking in love. The news media focuses on the most sensational type of events. It seems the more shocking and dramatic the event the more coverage it receives. Rarely does the news media focus on the kind, compassionate and loving kind of stories. Reality is what we choose to focus on. If we focus only on news accounts, then it might appear that our world is lacking in love. On the other hand, if we choose to focus on those doing kind compassionate acts then that will be our view of the world.

I believe our fundamental nature is to naturally want to help and be of benefit to others. We recently saw an amazing outpouring of love and compassion in the form of aid and assistance from all over the world to the victims of the tsunami.

I am sure you are aware of people like Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandala, Mahatma Ghandhi and H.H Dalai Lama who work to help others. There are countless stories of ordinary, everyday people doing extraordinary things. For example I personally know a school teacher who gives 60% of her income to charities that she believes in. She consciously choose to live a simple life so that she can make a real difference in the world. As Ghandhi said, "We must become the change we wish to see in the world." Making this world a better place is up to each of us.

[For more information ]