The Real Meaning of Success
To hold a high position or to have become a wealthy entrepreneur is what most people think of as success, but these kinds of things do not last forever. In Buddhism, to be genuinely successful means to be wise, happy and helpful to the people around you.
Speaking of success, today some people consider success as being a leader or a wealthy entrepreneur, that is success. So the so-called “Theory of Success” today focuses mainly on business management.
From my point of view, a successful person should be happy and be able to benefit both oneself and others. He can bring peace and happiness to his family and eliminate bickering or fighting among his family members, and he himself won’t wear a sad face all day long but be happy and joyful and able to embrace every aspect of life with courage and strength. Meanwhile, no matter how many people need help, ten, twenty, a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand, as long as they need help, a successful person can always take altruistic action and have a sincere concern for others’ needs.
Furthermore, such an altruistic mind should not be limited to humans but also extend to animals, to all sentient beings in the world. Having such an attitude of benefiting others is an important criterion of success. So, I may have a different definition from most of those people who relate success to huge amounts of money, good looks, high positions, and so on. Actually these are all impermanent, and even when someone possesses all of them, when encountering difficulties, he or she may turn out to be very vulnerable. If the most fragile part is hurt, this person may become so very desperate and completely fall down. Therefore, a truly successful person should have both wisdom and warm-heartedness, and the ability of helping others. That is my point of view of success.
