Ask A Monk: Selfishness and Goodness

"Being "selfish" is it really that bad? Is it really bad to have desires and needs? Is it always bad to hurt or make others suffer?"

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[poopyoopoop]

It would be great if more people could see this videos...

[gerry2345]

A very good reminder...

[Grandote82]

Same for craving: you are talking about entertainment, sex, envy, as things you should not give in to, because it will only increase your craving. Ok: but why not so with eating and going to the bathroom? Enlightenment should lead to death in less then a few days, because you don't respond anymore to any craving, you see through the game of life, and that means stop playing it. How to distinguish one craving from the other?

Thanks a lot!

Bart, student from Holland

[Grandote82]

Sir, I really like your videos, saw a lot of them, love the general idea but some things I don't understand.

Why, being a Buddhist, do you use such strong terminology (good versus bad) when talking about behaviour? "Good" and "bad" are concepts, arbitrary categories, games of the mind, right?

Why trying to achieve a goal (get people to subscribe, advocating the "way of meditation") while at the same time you meditate to accept the world as it is...?

[josephmills2010]

I should have known about this stuff years ago. I would post a vid but I have no idea how to use the camera in my laptop. I guess I could give it a try.

[meditationforfree]

what i got from this=

hurt yourself = hurt others

hurt others = hurt yourself

help others= help yourself

help yourself= help others

put yourself first however

desires and needs = not living life properly

besides explaining how to find enlightenment you cant bring someone to enlightenment and then they cant bring you to enlightenment they can only show you how to be enlightened

[meditationforfree]

lol I asked this question...many thanks.

[slgpmr]

@selvmordspilot

he also said something like:

"I'm very selfish.

The most selfish way ist to be compassionate."

[selvmordspilot]

As Dalai lama said: If you want to make others happy, be compassionate. If you want to be happy, be compassionate. :)