Haiti and Happy Talk

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.--The Dalai Lama

The news stories reported from Haiti since the recent earthquake that we read about, hear about on the radio, or watch from afar while perched in the comfort of our homes are numbing. Initially we are captured by the bravery, the sacrifice, the intensity of the moment of rescue or discovery of a corpse. We may shed a tear or say a prayer. But the reality is we have no concept, no real understanding of what that impoverished country is suffering.

In fact, Haitians were living such a dramatically different existence than ours before the earthquake ever hit and that alone would be so incomprehensible to our fellow Costco-and-Ikea-driven Americans. Their’s is a life of simplicity, survival being the reason for all things, everyday. Ours is not. Period. We have everything we need and more; our closets and drawers overflow, we have t.v and computers in multiples. Only by visiting or living in such a poor country for a period of time would an American ever be able to begin to comprehend what daily living in such conditions would require. But also, what it doesn’t require. Hunter said of his recent visit to inner-city impoverished Lima, Peru, “Here (meaning in the States) there’s always the next ‘thing’. In Peru, you just be.”

Our exposure to other Worlds is essential in understanding the full human experience. No matter how we get it, through media, books, experience, even National Geographic or the Discovery channel provide us a window into the survival struggles of others and an appreciation for what is important. Americans have to make an extra effort to seize opportunities to go out of their comfort zone, visit the distressed, and travel to impoverished nations in order to touch that part of our souls that naturally bonds us all together.

Disaster, then, has the potential to bring promise in the face of darkness. It can merge these two dramatically different Worlds by opening doors and encouraging change, rebirth, and action. Much like natural forest fires burn through acres of tall trees and lush meadows, to leave ash and dirt, what looks like smoldering death. But eventually, through natures will, green sprouts emerge among the blackened earth. Over time, grasses and low bushes develop and animals return to feed on them as life rejuvenates the land and brings back beauty. You’ve seen the people flooding to help in Haiti through rescue efforts, medical support, adoptions. Maybe you’ve even participated in raising money to send to help their rebuilding efforts. This is the type of change and renewal possible through crisis.

The challenge, then, is to live with an everyday awareness of how we are contributing to this bond we share. Those who are mobilized to do something everyday, to really make a difference in other’s lives by educating, to preserve forests, to save species are truly humanitarians. Giving of themselves for the common good of their kind, instinctively. My wish is that I am able to contribute of myself to the best of my ability to this human experience and in return am happy to just "be".

I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life.--Dalai Lama