It’s all in how you look at it:

afflictions or appreciation.

“Have you noticed the water smelling funny?” the concerned visitor asked his host.

Smiling, she explained, “Yes, after we get a good rain, the water always smells funny for a few days. The new water rushing into the rainwater tank stirs up the water already in it. So the bad smell means the tank got a needed restock of water.”

With that new information, what had seemed like something troubling was actually good news.

When we do not have all the information we need to see something clearly, we can quickly leap to the wrong conclusion. And become upset at what we just landed on. In this instance, the water smelled unpleasant, but when the visitor learned what had happened, he was no longer bothered by the strange odor. Knowing the severity of the area’s water shortage, he knew the refilled water tank was a welcome relief.

It’s a question of how we view things.

Is it an affliction?

Or actually something to be appreciated.

When you see someone having a tough time . . .

To help others

we need a calm, clear mind.

Empathizing with another person, we feel what he feels. And his suffering suddenly becomes ours. One might wonder, Isn’t this a good thing? The way a caring person reacts to another’s suffering? If we don’t handle the suffering correctly, no.

When the Buddha encountered those who were suffering, he clearly saw their suffering. But if he had taken it all in—like a sponge absorbing water—it would have tainted his calm, clear mind. Instead, he saw the suffering perfectly and, knowing what conditions the person had or didn’t have, intuitively knew how to help, what to say.

But for us, we are a sponge when we encounter others suffering. We’re like a person who jumps into a raging river to save a drowning man. Unable to manage the swirling waters, we realize, too late, we’re drowning too!

The alternative?

View others’ suffering clearly. Then, react calmly. We have a choice as to how to respond to suffering. We can absorb it and, like a sponge, become more soiled with time. Or we can see it clearly and remain unstained while truly helping others.