Inner Practice: Antidotes to Jealousy

Because the grass is always greener on the other side. Because people are angrier these days. Because we simply forget how to count our own blessings.

The antidote to jealousy is rejoicing.

Jealousy is extremely painful. You feel totally trapped by it. Because it is such a disgusting state of mind.

No one wants to admit having that disgusting state of mind. So if we cannot admit having it, that makes it very difficult to oppose it.

One thing that works very well with jealousy is to imagine, “I’m really jealous of somebody because they get to do (whatever), or they have certain qualities.” Then ask yourself, “What would happen if I were that person? What is your life going to be like having all of the conditions that that person has?”

 

Whatever it is that we are jealous of, it always comes with some drawbacks. Because whoever we are jealous of, they have their own set of problems. They have their own suffering. Sometimes their suffering and their problems come from the qualities and opportunities that we are jealous of. If you really imagine switching places with them, then you say, “Do I want to deal with all the disadvantages too?”

 

We should look at the whole situation when we are jealous of somebody and see if we really want the whole thing or not. Because usually when we are jealous, we are exaggerating the good qualities of whatever we are jealous of. Be very careful of what you want, be careful of what you are jealous of, because you might get it. Then you really have to deal with what it is like.