Encountering people or animals that are suffering but for which we are unable to do anything about provides a good opportunity for us to practise the Dharma in real life. Feeling helpless and despondent in situations like these can lead to angry thoughts and speech, which only causes more suffering to ourselves and others. Instead of falling into that, we use others’ suffering to increase our compassion and determination to practise bodhicitta and become a Buddha for the benefit of others.

When we meet difficult circumstances, instead of thinking the usual, “This is too much, I can’t handle it,” we can say, “This is the field of my practice and it’s going to make my intention to be of benefit even stronger,” followed by, “How can I be of benefit?” There are numerous ways we can influence animals or human beings, so they do not create negative actions and have to suffer karmic consequences. Our actions probably will not have a big impact right away but helping people to learn about karma will prevent them from acting, speaking and thinking in harmful ways that result in rebirths with the kind of suffering we do not want them to experience.

We can also encourage them to do more of whatever good actions they are doing to benefit their own and others’ lives while creating the cause for a higher rebirth. For example, we can use our distress at seeing animals killed or injured by a massive oil spill to strengthen our resolve not to go fishing, hunting, or eating live seafood meals since the people who do the killing at the restaurants will become vulnerable to the same kinds of suffering in lower rebirths caused by their killing. Then the animals’ suffering becomes fuel for our bodhicitta and our efforts to encourage others to live in accord with the law of karma and its effects. We can also do the taking-and-giving practice in which we take in all the animals’ suffering and use it to destroy our selfishness, followed by sending out our body, possessions and virtue to stop the oil spill.

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