| Most birds, fish and the animals that live in the fields and mountains,
live happily and harmoniously with their fellow creatures. Human beings, too, are social animals -- they cannot live alone. Even those who try very hard to live a solitary life, are soon tormented by solitude and find the smile fading from their faces. They also find their life is no longer happy. Smiles can come only from smooth relationships with other people. By smiling, we invite others to smile; by laughing, we invite others to laugh. By smiling and laughing together people can develop feelings of sympathy towards each other. Though invisible, inside each individual lies a distinctive heart and mind with its own special features. If we deal skillfully and sensitively with other people, the unique qualities and virtues in their hearts will emerge and our communication with them becomes more interesting. On the other hand, if we deal with people only for our own convenience, we will inevitably generate conflicts with them and fail to see their virtues. When we deal with people sensitively, showing care and consideration for their feelings, they will naturally open up the windows of their hearts to us. Some people keep the windows of their hearts open all the time. Others keep them closed. The feelings and values that people hold within themselves are complicated, so unless we are able to understand these complexities we will not be able to open the windows of our minds and communicate deeply with each other. If we keep trying to put ourselves in the position of others we will start to gain an appreciation of their particular personalities. Then we will naturally feel joy at coming into contact with their unique and wonderful qualities. |