I posted this Lama Zopa quote on another site and I had this

[kerby]

reply below. Can anyone help me with a positive reinforcement for what Lama Zopa meant so that this person understands ?

Originally Posted by Kerby W-R
Whenever you hear that someone else has been successful, rejoice.
Always practice... rejoicing for others--whether your friend or your enemy.
If you cannot practice rejoicing, no matter how long you live, you will not be happy.

- Lama Zopa Rinpoche
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Many people's successes coincide with other people losing.

Example: An executive saved his company some money. He did so by outsourcing a thousand jobs to another country.

[plwk]

Hope these helps...


The Preparatory Rites: Day 6, The Seven Limbed Prayer: The Fourth Limb: Rejoicing (51) Pages 190-93

Others:
"Transforming Problems Into Happiness"
Jealousy
Advice Regarding Negative Rejoicing
The Avatamsaka Sutra, Chapter 40: Universal Worthy's Conduct and Vows: The Fifth Vow: To Follow Along with and Rejoice in Merit and Virtue

[zerwe]

Kerby, the response your quote from LZR got from the other site is quite puzzling. Other than rejoicing being the fourth limb of the seven limb prayer, it is another antidote to self-cherishing and in this case in the form of cherishing others good works. It is simple, but powerful practice in that all we have to do is sincerely acknowledge how wonderful it is that others are engaged in meritous activities. Self-cherishing arises from ignorance and is the root of all suffering. Since beginningless time every happiness, every comfort we have experienced has depended on the kindness and generosity of others and our ultimate happiness depends on our developing a cherishing attitude toward others. As Lama Zopa says "If you cannot practice rejoicing, no matter how long you live, you will not be happy. "
Shaun

[Tsongkhapafan]

I think the person who replied was making the point that for someone to be successful, others have to fail. This failure is obviously not an object of rejoicing. Since all success and failure comes from previous actions, we can rejoice in the successes of those who have created the cause, whilst understanding that such success is very fragile and momentary, and pray for their ultimate success of enlightenment. Where there is failure, we can pray that those people purify their negative karma, achieve success in the future and finally achieve the ultimate success of enlightenment.

There's always a positive and virtuous way of looking at everything.

[Tsongkhapafan]

Another and perhaps more controversial point is that all happiness and fulfilment of wishes is the result of positive actions, so it's possible to rejoice in the causes without rejoicing in the results, if they are non-virtuous. We can therefore rejoice in the good karma of the executive who achieved his goal of saving the company money. His wishes being fulfilled was due to his previous good actions, but we don't need to rejoice in the outsourcing; but on second thoughts, maybe we do! His action would have created gain in the other country, so that's a good thing, isn't it? If workers in this country lost the contract, that would be due to their bad karma of, for example, stealing from others in the past. Obviously we shouldn't rejoice in this but develop compassion.

[kerby]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your responses.