The Ten Pro-'Happinessant'
Effects of Service

By Dr. Phang Cheng Kar

The act of selfless service (veyyavacca) - doing something for the happiness and welfare of others - is one of the ten meritorious actions (kusala kamma) in the Buddha’s teaching. "Death is not sorrowful, but having lived without doing any service to others is indeed sorrowful." This is a good advice from the late Venerable Dr. K Sri Dhammananda to remind us on the importance of service. As a meritorious action, service has the capacity to open the door to happiness in life. Research in psychology has consistently shown that service has anti- depressant and pro-'happinessant' effects, parti- cularly when it involves our unique strengths and abilities.

This article discusses how service can bring happiness into our lives, i.e. the positive mechanism of service as a pro-’happinessant’ - factor conducive to happiness. It is a nice word that should be coined, if it is not in existence yet. I will also give some suggestions on how to avoid burnout that may be associated with voluntary service.

How does service create happiness? When we help others,

1. We often discover that they too may be facing problems similar to ours. This understanding on the universality of suffering, "I see that I am not the only one with a problem," can alter our perception of the gravity of our own problems.
2. We often realize that there are many people with worse situations than ours. This gives us a sense of perspective, "I'm lucky, it could have been worse." This relieves our pain.
3. We are indirectly focusing on our strengths, and our ability to help others. This increases self-esteem. It also keeps us away from ruminating and amplifying our sense of worthlessness.
4. We become less preoccupied with our own problems, especially those that cannot be changed. By channeling our energy for the happiness of others, we avoid inflating and worrying too much on our predicament.
5. There is greater likelihood that we will be appreciated by our fellow humans. We would then begin to realize, "Hmmm... my existence does make a difference to people around me!" This kind of existential effect is a powerful antidote for those who find life meaningless.
6. We get to open our hearts to more people, and thus attract more genuine friends. This creates more opportunities for emotional ventilation and sharing, which are good for our mental health.
7. We get to settle our unresolved guilt. Many people are tormented by their own guilt. Service allows them to effectively and gradually 'let go' of this emotional baggage, freeing themselves from their mental prison.
8. The law of kamma naturally generates joy and protects us from misfortunes. Help, including divine intervention, is more likely to be accessible when it is needed, and therefore life will be less 'stormy'.
9. When we engage in selfless service, we are gradually 'de-personalizing' the "I-Me-Mine" identification, and evolve towards spiritual enlightenment and ultimate happiness. From the Buddhist perspective, the illusion of 'self' is the culprit for all 'unsatisfactoriness' (dukkha) or existential neurosis in life.
10. When we persistently wish and think of ways to help others, we are actually cultivating mindfulness and compassion. Neuroscience research has shown that this is associated with activation of the left pre-frontal cortex, a unique brain area which is connected with positive emotions.

Avoiding Burn-out

Having explained the ten possible pro- ‘happinessant’ effects of service, I will touch on preventing a common phenomenon exper- ienced by many volunteers, that is ‘burn-out’. Burn-out, in this context, is characterized by emotional exhaustion, diminished interests in serving, and the lack of self-confidence in one’s capacity to help others.

Of course, saints such as the Buddhas, Arahants and Bodhisattas are immune from burnout. But the majority of us are not saints yet and hence vulnerable. If not given due attention, it may even erode one’s faith in the Triple Gem, crystallize resentment, perpetuate guilt, and become a catalyst to clinical depression. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize and prevent burnout. Here are some suggestions:

1. Have time to relax and recharge ourselves, e.g. by having daily meditation and taking periodic holidays. Remember that loving ourselves is also a vital facet of compassion.
2. Be assertive and learn to say “NO” when we feel that the demand for our service is more than our ability to cope. This is not easy as it involves the courage to admit our limitations, which may be a threat to our ego.
3. Be humble, seek help, and acquire new skills to prepare ourselves to be more effective in carrying out services to others.
4. An organization should make effort to take good care of the welfare and needs of its volunteers. It would be good if individual counselling or therapeutic support group is available to the volunteers.
5. Invoke the spiritual powers of Triple Gem. Invite the devas (heavenly beings) to protect and support our good work. A sense of connectedness with the devas can do wonders in empowering ourselves.

To my kalyana mittas (spiritual friends) who are actively and silently doing community service, a mammoth Sadhu! (well done) to all of you. May all of you be blessed with abundance of joy, peace and happiness while embarking on your spiritual mission.