Competition without the meaning of defeating comparison

Normally, competition means that is a matter between competitors who struggle against each other to gain an object without belonging to them, possessing their own. It is a competition of animals

The human’s competitive aspiration have no meaning as depriving effort to achieve from others, but one making efforts oneself to obtain their expected one, even better than its competitor.

This is the Bodhi’s active spirit, “an active struggle”, “a wholesome one”. It is the competition   of logics, public, justice. Its goal does not fight others to help its successfulness that its action will perform the points that the former one have not yet done well, and cannot do well the matters that others can not or does not do well, which they contribute more than others.

There is a mother whose son is so lazy, without studying hard for his future and likes playing game daily. She scolds him: “You have no plans for future, but get much laziness, so I will take you to pagoda for cultivating.”

After hearing her words, he went to our pagoda. He thought as becoming a monk who would not do any things, without learning, without working and like playing, etc. The best way that one should play is to leave home for practice. Thus, the Most Venerable as mine is very busy. Since I was a child, I have always been very busy. I am bustling not because my struggling for money and position, on the contrary, I have always help them get money, fame, position as well as help them obtain better study and happiness.

This action does not struggle for myself but contributes for others, This needs effort and has to be in risk.

I never think I need fame nor speak to the information to public, but thank to my effort, the position rerach me as well as all things are also paid back to me.

As a snow ball, the more rolling, the bigger; therefore, I have shared to others and have no benefits for myself. Benefits are not on my own but it becomes a general achievement to people. This is the true value of competition. On many sutras of the Buddha, they always conduct these comparition concepts such as the sutras of “Lotus”, â€œKshitigarbha”, “Diamond,” which has a comparation such as this thing better another one; this merit is bigger another one, this destiny is better another one. In summary, this is a competition, but it is not with others, it compares with its own.

 Competition does not display one self. On contrary, it not only brings benefits to everyone in society, but also practices and transfers one self, as well as helps one self growing faster, stronger and more perfect.

In Buddhism, competion means in advance, an endless effort, making many benefits to others by our ability strength.

Therefore, we do not confuse something that is on its own. It should not also understand as of lying or cheating. Unless this has usefulness for us and others, inversely, we should  be in competition and effort because of happiness of all.

Ven. Thanh Nghiem