Surround yourself with the right people | Buddhism In English
Summary
TLDRThe video script emphasizes the importance of one's environment and associations in personal growth, drawing a parallel to a seed's growth in fertile or infertile soil. It highlights Buddhist teachings that stress the value of 'kalana' or noble friends who inspire and guide towards positive actions and inner values like love, compassion, and patience. The speaker encourages viewers to seek and maintain connections with individuals of higher qualities, as they can significantly influence personal development, even in unfavorable environments. The message is that our choices in companionship can profoundly shape our lives, echoing the adage that we become the average of the five people we associate with most.
Takeaways
- 🌱 The growth of a seed is influenced by its environment, which is a metaphor for how our surroundings affect our personal growth and values.
- 🙌 In Buddhism, the company we keep is considered crucial to our spiritual development, emphasizing the importance of associating with good friends.
- 🗣️ Buddha taught that the entirety of Buddhist practice relies on having good friends, or 'kalana', who guide us towards virtuous actions and personal betterment.
- ❤️ Noble friends are those who inspire and support us in cultivating inner values such as love, compassion, patience, and adherence to the Dharma.
- 🙏 The presence of noble friends in our lives is seen as a blessing, as they help us improve and grow, according to Buddhist teachings.
- 🔄 It's important to avoid toxic environments and seek out relationships with individuals who possess higher qualities and values.
- 🧘♂️ Living in a community with a shared goal of spiritual practice, such as monks, can facilitate the cultivation of inner qualities more easily.
- 🌿 Just as a plant's growth can be limited by its pot, our potential can be constrained by the environment and the people around us.
- 🌳 If even one root of a plant extends beyond its pot and reaches more fertile ground, the plant can grow significantly; similarly, connecting with one good person can greatly influence our growth.
- 🤝 We should cherish and maintain connections with those who inspire us and help us develop our inner qualities, even if we are in a less-than-ideal environment.
- 🔢 The saying 'you are the average of the five people you associate with' highlights the importance of being selective with our friendships and associations.
Q & A
What analogy is used to explain the impact of environment on personal growth?
-The analogy of planting a healthy seed in infertile soil or a small pot is used to explain that the seed will not grow properly due to the environment, not because of any flaw in the seed itself.
How does the environment or people around us affect our qualities and values according to the script?
-The environment and people around us can negatively impact our good qualities and inner values, making it crucial to surround ourselves with supportive and positive individuals.
What is the importance of association in Buddhist teachings?
-In Buddhist teachings, the association is considered highly important as it is believed that the entire Buddhist practice depends on having good friends who support and encourage one's spiritual growth.
Who are 'kalana' or noble friends in Buddhism?
-Noble friends, or 'kalana,' are individuals who direct us towards good actions, help us become better people, and cultivate inner values such as love, compassion, patience, and the practice of Dharma.
What did Venable Ananda and the Buddha say about the role of association in Buddhist practice?
-Venable Ananda initially suggested that half of Buddhist practice depends on who we associate with, but the Buddha corrected him, stating that the entire practice depends on having good friends.
What advice does the Buddha give about choosing associates?
-The Buddha advises not to associate with people of lower qualities but to associate with those of higher qualities, as they can help improve one's life and spiritual practice.
How does living with a community of monks help in spiritual practice?
-Living with a community of monks who share the same aim of practicing inner qualities like love, compassion, and meditation makes it easier for individuals to practice and be inspired by the senior monks' dedication.
What is the suggested solution for those living in toxic environments?
-For those in toxic environments, the suggestion is to maintain connections with people of better qualities whenever possible and to be inspired by them to develop inner qualities despite the surrounding negativity.
What analogy is used to explain the importance of connecting with good people even in a limited environment?
-The analogy of a bonsai plant's root reaching outside its pot and connecting with the ground is used to illustrate how even one connection with a better person can significantly help one's growth.
What does it mean to be 'the average of five people you associate with'?
-Being 'the average of five people you associate with' means that the qualities and values of the people closest to you have a significant influence on your own character and behavior, emphasizing the importance of choosing associates wisely.
Outlines
🌱 The Impact of Environment on Growth
This paragraph discusses the analogy of a seed planted in infertile soil and its inability to grow, drawing a parallel to human life. It emphasizes that the environment and the company we keep can significantly influence our inherent qualities and values. The teachings of Buddha are highlighted, particularly the importance of associating with 'noble friends' or 'kalana'—individuals who inspire us to do good and cultivate virtues like love, compassion, and patience. The Buddha's assertion that the full practice of Buddhism depends on having good friends is underscored, illustrating that being surrounded by like-minded individuals can greatly facilitate spiritual growth and practice.
🌳 Nurturing Connections for Personal Growth
The second paragraph extends the analogy of a plant's growth, explaining how a single root connecting with the ground can lead to significant development. It suggests that even a single connection with a person of good qualities can profoundly impact one's life, encouraging the maintenance of such relationships despite a potentially toxic environment. The paragraph stresses the importance of choosing our associates wisely, as we become a reflection of the people we spend time with. It concludes with the idea that maintaining connections with individuals who can help us improve is essential for personal development, reinforcing the notion that our growth is influenced by the company we keep.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Seed
💡Environment
💡Good Qualities
💡Buddhist Teachings
💡Kalana (Noble Friends)
💡Dharma
💡Monks Community
💡Meditation
💡Toxic Environment
💡Association
💡Inner Values
Highlights
A healthy seed planted in an infertile environment will not grow, illustrating the impact of surroundings on personal development.
In Buddhist teachings, the environment and the people around us can affect our inner values and qualities.
The Buddha emphasized that the entirety of Buddhist practice depends on having good friends, known as 'kalana' or noble friends.
Noble friends are those who guide us towards good actions and help cultivate inner values such as love, compassion, and patience.
Buddha's teachings consider having good friends as a blessing that aids in personal improvement.
Buddha advises not to associate with people of lower qualities but to seek those with higher values.
Living in a community of like-minded monks facilitates the practice of meditation and spiritual development.
The example of senior monks meditating for long hours inspires junior monks to cultivate their practice.
Being in a toxic environment can be a challenge, but it's important to connect with people of better qualities when possible.
Even in unfavorable conditions, one should strive to maintain connections with individuals who inspire and help improve oneself.
A single connection with a person of good qualities can be a catalyst for personal growth, similar to a plant's root connecting with the ground.
The importance of choosing who we associate with wisely, as it shapes who we are.
The saying 'you are the average of the five people you associate with' highlights the influence of our social circle.
The transcript encourages us to be keen in selecting friends and associates who can contribute positively to our lives.
Maintaining connections with individuals who inspire us to improve is crucial for personal development.
The transcript concludes with the message that our environment does not define us if we have valuable connections with better individuals.
Transcripts
Nam
budhay if you take a healthy seed and
plant it in an infertile pot or in
fertile soil what will happen to the
seed Slowly by slowly it will start to
die it will never
grow the problem was not in the seed the
problem was in the environment same goes
with our life although we are good
people although we have good qualities
inside us
the environment or the people around us
can affect the good qualities and can
affect our inner values and that is why
in Buddhist
teachings the biggest amount of focus is
given for the people who we associate at
one time Venable Anand as from the
Buddha says to the Buddha the Buddha I
think half of this Buddhist practice
depends on who we associate or half of
the Buddhist practice depends on good
friends then the Buddha said Ananda do
not say that Anand the full Buddhist
practice the fullest Buddhist practice
depends on the whole Buddhist practice
depends on having good friends and
having better friends in Buddhism we
call them
kalana the noble friends so who are
noble friends Noble friends are the
friends who you who they direct you to
do do good things and to be a better
person and to cultivate the inner values
like love compassion patience and
practicing the Dharma all these things
the people who help you to develop these
things so in the Buddha's teachings
having good friends around you is
considered as a blessing to your life
the Buddha says this in
Maham the Buddha says
that means the Buddha said do not
associate with people with lower
qualities associate with people with
higher good qualities okay having a good
association with people who have higher
values and higher qualities will help
you to improve in your life and that is
why in the Buddhist teachings a major
focus is given to the people who we
associate even in the monks Community
when we are living with monks monks live
in a one in one aim with a one aim to
practice the inner qualities like love
and compassion sharing meditations and
spiritual practice when you're being
around such a community it is very easy
for you to practice it now when I was
when I begin the practice of the monks
Hood it was a it was a challenge for us
to practice these qualities like
meditation for an example it was very
difficult to meditate in the beginning
but we had group meditations that means
our senior monks meditated with us okay
we were sitting with the senior monks
and we were meditating and we see from
the beginning of of our monkhood we saw
that our senior monks are meditating for
hours and hours and that inspired us to
meditate so having and being with a
community of people who are likeminded
and being with people who can help you
to improve
is a blessing for all of our life now
when I say this I know the question that
comes to your mind how can I have people
around me that are that helps me to
improve okay because I live in a toxic
environment maybe you're living in a
toxic environment now that is the
problem that we most of the other people
have right and then you may ask like I
am living in a toxic environment so how
can I find good friends and how can I
find people who are going to help me
well I know we don't get the exact
environment that we expect all the time
there will be always toxic people around
us there will be always unfavorable
environments around around us okay but
from time to time we get into contact
with people with better qualities and
better people and with higher values and
do not lose that
Association connect with them be with
them inspired get inspired with them and
then associate keep associating those
people from time to time the more you
associate them the more you develop the
inner qualities it's something like this
if you grow a plant in a little pot
right for an example if you take a
bonide plant it grows in a little pot
right so the environment is limited the
soil is limited okay so what happens to
the tree it doesn't grow much okay it
starts to start to grow slowly but
because of that is because of the
environment that is because the roots
are stuck in that little amount of
soil what will happen if one just one
root came out of that pot and got
connected with the ground what will
happen the tree starts to grow
same like that we will if you get one
connection just one connection with a
better person or a better person who has
good qualities and who can help you you
should not lose that connection right
you have to be connected with that
person and you have to grow and that
will help you to grow in your life so
then the environment that you live in
will not matter to you because you have
that valuable connection with that one
person okay and that is why we need to
choose the people who we associate
wisely because who we are is the people
are the people who we associate and that
is why they say that you are the average
of five people who you associate just
look around the people who are living
with you okay just look around the
people who you share your life and see
you're the average of those five people
who who are very close to you so that is
why we need to be very wise and very
keen when we pick friends and when we
pick people to associate and if you got
one just one connection with a person
who has better qualities and good
qualities that who can help you to
improve never lose that connection be
connected with that person and improve
yourself Nam buddhaya
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