This can make you feel better
Dear friends,
I am always on the lookout for interesting articles, information and tidbits to give you more understanding, perspectives or even just trivia information. Information can be helpful at times. I found this article to be very interesting how Buddhist words and Buddhism can make a person feel more compassionate and happy.
Tsem Rinpoche
Just Being Exposed To Buddhist Ideas May Make You Feel More Compassionate, Study Finds
The Huffington Post | By Carolyn Gregoire
Posted: 04/08/2015 7:35 am EDT Updated: 04/14/2015 4:59 pm EDT
Buddhists are known for promoting a philosophy of nonviolence, compassion and interconnection of all beings. According to provocative new research, simply being exposed to Buddhist terminology may be enough to activate tolerance and compassion among both Buddhists and non-Buddhists.
Researchers from Stanford University, along with scientists from Belgium and Taiwan, found that exposing people of different spiritual backgrounds to Buddhist concepts was effective in not only undercutting prejudice but also in promoting prosociality, which includes having a sense of responsibility for others, feelings of compassion and empathy.
The study, which was published in the April issue of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, illustrates a phenomenon known as priming. Priming occurs when people are exposed to certain words or images (in this case, Buddhist words) that then subconsciously influence their thinking or behavior.
For the experiment, 355 total study participants were divided based on their backgrounds: Western Christians, Westerners who practiced Buddhism and Taiwanese with a Buddhist/Taoist background. These three groups were broken down even further, with some participants being primed with religious words and others being exposed to nonreligious, yet still positive, words (e.g., “flower,” “sun,” “freedom”). After this priming, participants took tests designed to reveal any prejudices they may have against different ethnic or religious groups.
Across all groups, people who were exposed to words like “Buddha,” “Dharma” and “awakening” in a word puzzle showed fewer negative associations with African and Muslim people than those who were exposed to Christian or nonreligious words.
Participants who were primed with Buddhist words also scored higher on a test measuring prosocial behaviors. These effects were particularly pronounced among people who scored higher on tests measuring open-mindedness.
Prosocial behaviors are generally in line with the core values of Buddhism, including tolerance of different ways of thinking, universality and interconnection.
However, the researchers don’t mean to suggest that Buddhism is “better” than any other religion.
“What we really want to argue is that Buddhist concepts are associated with tolerance, across cultural groups,” Magalli Clobert, a post-doctoral student at Stanford and one of the study’s authors, told The Huffington Post. “It means that, at least in people’s mind, there is a positive vision of Buddhism as a religion of tolerance and compassion.”
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/08/buddhism-compassion_n_7011576.html?
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Mu understand of Buddhism core value is tolerance, compassion, forgiveness, wisdom and always middle way, not too extreme in all aspect, especially no war. Peace should be all the time in olden days or current time.
This is quite interesting and informative articles about Buddhism. From my knowledge base, I think Buddhism is a spiritual practices that base on core values like tolerances, compassion and most important is benefits all sentient beings without exception.
In order to achieve all these virtue core values, we must transform our mind via practicing more virtue actions like helping people who in need,kind to animals and etc. Our actions must always in good intentions.
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing this article.
Jason
I knew nothing much about Buddhism but loves seeing Buddhist statues since young.I enjoyed reading books about Buddhism when much older and later came across Rinpoche’website.
Buddhist ideas and ideals have guided and influenced the lives and thoughts of countless human beings.Buddhist culture develop good habits of kindness and compassion, honesty and truthfulness.Researchers and scientists has proven that Buddhist words, images and Buddhism subconsciously influence their thinking or behavior and mind transformation.Can make a person feel more compassionate,caring,helpful and happy.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this interesting article.
It is fascinating to read that students primed with Buddhist words score higher in certain tests which are associated with openess of the mind. This is not surprising because Buddhism tenets promote openness as well as acceptance and embrace differences.
This study reminds me of 2 young graduates whom I had the pleasure to work with. They possess similar academic qualification and positive attitude. But there is a vast difference between the 2 of them as the one with strong Buddhist values since young is down to earth, always sincere and humble, mind her own business, work with little complaints; while the other, is bold, but definitely lacking in the humanity qualities.
Over time, it grew into a obvious social gap between the 2 of them, and the one with better humanity qualities garner deeper support and cooperation. It is therefore important to start the children young and expose them to Buddhist values, as the values are practical gears for them in life.
I grew up knowing very little about Buddhism and have very little exposure to Buddhism. Despite that, I’ve somehow gotten to associate Buddhism with peace. Maybe it’s from the movies, maybe it’s from unconscious observation of Buddhist monks and nuns I’ve seen.
One thing I did remember very clearly and found very soothing was a book I read by Anthony de Mello when I was a teenager called The Prayer of The Frog. I was very attracted to the spiritual philosophy behind each of the stories in that book. I also remember thinking these philosophy are not very Christian like but very Buddhist (whatever Buddhism meant to me at the time). It was a book one of my siblings borrowed.
Back then in the small town I was from, there was no internet, no mobile phones, limited TV, limited books so information wasn’t that easy to find.
I never forgotten about the book though and as the internet age came about I googled to find the author and the book. I owned a copy of that book now, thank you Pastor Niral Patel for the gift.
As a non Buddhist even then I have felt there was something very right about the Buddhist philosophy or approach to living beings.
May Buddha’s doctrine brings benefit and peace for many more years to come and to many more sentient beings.
It took eons for the Buddha of right conduct, right speech..of no lying, no stealing, of developing Boddhicita, compassion.. etc to achieve its final Elightenment.
Hence, this proves that Buddha’s words do have power to transform and subdue the erratic mind. This is proven even though such a short priming experiment done to volunteers.
Imagine the effect it has on a true practioner when they chant mantras, visualizations etc and follow the complete path.
There would be a total mind transformation, of developing complete Boddhicita through the Body, Speech & Mind just as what Rinpoche has always taught.
Thank you Rinpoche.
With folded hands.
Besides Buddhists words evoke better feelings from sentient beings, imagine viewing Buddha images.
For that very same reason, it is so meritorious to have huge Buddha statues place at strategic places to help a calmer state of mind and better energised environment for people in that space.
Beautiful to know and also to experience this nice feelings as I have done since I entered Kechara House and met my Guru, HE Tsem Rinpoche.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this information, I fully agree about the research Buddhism can really help to open up our mind to be more tolerance and patient ,we do not forget Buddha is the best psychology is this universe .
THank you Rinpoche for this very interesting article and blogpost.
It will be truly wonderful if words like “Buddha”. “Dharma” and “Awakening” can unlock the mind’s innate store of “love’ and “kindness”(often buried deep inside).I think is possible because it is there.
In any case. if “priming” is as powerful in impact on the mind as claimed, then it will be truly necessary to “prime ” people, who have to continuously expose themselves to situations of hate and violence(like Policemen), to peace-evoking words, words of tolerance and care and compassion.
Such a well written article on Huffington Post. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing it here.
I am not surprise that those exposed to Buddhist ideas will make one feel more compassionate. It is after all everyone’s innate nature to do good to others, which makes one feel good about themselves. Everyone wants to receive kindness and give kindness.
There were many other research and studies done under the psychology branch of studies that explore the concepts of Buddhist principles, such as kindness to others, being giving etc. And the studies always found good feedback on both the giver and receiver.