Why Do People Often Feel Jealousy or Envy?
In life, we often have the tendency to feel jealous or envious of others.
- When we see someone doing good or being successful, instead of feeling happy for them, we feel jealousy & envy.
- When we don’t do something ourselves, but when someone else does it, we criticize and judge.
- When others have something more than us, instead of learning from them, we criticize or belittle them.
This is a negative mental state that diminishes our blessings and prevents us from making progress in both life and practice.
The Consequences of Jealousy & Envy – Losing Both Blessings and Merit
What is blessing? – It is the result of the good deeds we perform.
What is merit? – It is the value of our practice, the purity of our heart when we follow the path of virtue.
Jealousy & envy will cause us to lose both blessings and merit:
- Lose blessings: Instead of creating blessings, we generate negative speech, sowing more unwholesome thoughts.
- Lose merit: Because the mind is not in harmony, not rejoicing in others’ goodness, it poisons our own heart.
Jealousy & envy is one of the biggest obstacles on the path of practice, leading us further away from peace and contentment.
How to Transform Jealousy & Envy into Rejoicing
Instead of feeling jealous or envious and criticizing, practice rejoicing in the merits of others.
If you see someone doing good, rejoice:
- If you don’t have the ability to do it, support them, don’t criticize.
- If you have the ability, give sincere advice.
Give advice from a kind heart, not from a critical mind:
- Don’t say: “Why are you doing this? Doesn’t it seem illogical?”
- Instead, say: “I’m not an expert, but I think this could be done better in this way. Maybe you can try it?”
Learn to rejoice in the merits of others:
- When you see someone doing good, instead of feeling jealous or envious, think: “How wonderful, the world has another person doing good.”
- When you rejoice in the goodness of others, your heart opens up, and you too benefit from that joy.
One of the greatest merits is rejoicing – being happy with the good deeds of others.
Final Thought
- Jealousy & envy is an obstacle that causes us to lose blessings and merit.
- Instead of criticizing or being judgmental, practice rejoicing – be happy with the good deeds of others.
- Give advice with sincerity, not from a place of jealousy & envy.
- A person who rejoices in others’ goodness has merit because they do not let their hearts be polluted by jealousy & envy.
Learning to rejoice in others’ success and goodness is to expand compassion and increase blessings for oneself.
This article is compiled based on a sermon by Venerable Thích Pháp Hoà
The Original Dharma Talk
How to transform jealousy & envy into merit – Venerable Thich Phap Hoa (Audio is translated)
Below is his original lesson:
Đố kỵ, ganh tức là một tâm hành xấu & cách chuyển hoá – Thầy Thích Pháp Hoà
