The Dalai Lama and East Asian Suicide. | Argumentation #1

From a young age, kids are taught to appreciate everything that they have and receive. This idea stems from the Eastern Buddhist practice of contentment. The Dalai Lama states that, "when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, 'Oh yes, I already have everything that I really need'". As children grow in the United States, however, they grow out of this mindset of contentment, and grow needy and materialistic. There should be a balance between wanting things and contentment, and bringing back the principles that we have been taught from the start.

       

As people, the feeling of needing more, and the hunger for material items or titles can and has ultimately led to depression. In Eastern Asia, the stress for academic excellence is extremely high, making students from China, South Korea, and Japan some of the highest ranking students in the world. With that pressure come the high chance of teenage suicide as a result of heavy examination, and the pressure to be better than others. In South Korea alone, 40 people commit suicide everyday. This is seen as a result of the harsh workforce and education system, especially around exam periods. To an extent, contentment can play a role in bringing optimism to situations such as the ones in Eastern Asia.

      

On another note, some believe that contentment should not be practiced at all. Claiming that we would not have the things we do today if everyone was content with the way the world started. Though true, it’s also important to partially instill contentment within society, as it introduces optimism, which is a healthier way to insight further development.

      

Overall, contentment should be practiced, or at least partially represented in today’s world as it provides a healthier form of competition, and will decrease things such as suicide rates and depression. This will ultimately lead to a stronger society, and still feed into the desire to grow and flourish.