With good health comes the opportunity to help others; it is just so wonderful when one has such opportunities. However, there are perfectly healthy people who choose suicide as the way out of some predicament, ending their otherwise promising lives and causing much agony for their loved ones.

In 2003, the World Health Organization designated September 10 as World Suicide Prevention Day in order to focus the world’s attention on this problem.

Effective suicide prevention doesn’t just happen spontaneously overnight. It requires daily cultivation of gratitude and an appreciation of the value of life. This attitude forms a wall of defense against suicide. Whatever your background, you should accept your role in the world and be responsible for that role to the fullest of your ability.

Furthermore, death doesn’t end one’s misery. According to the Buddhist law of cause and effect, if you take your own life, you end up ignorant and anxious in endless future lives. Talk about suffering beyond words!

To truly break free from the shackles of mental torment, you must be willing to open up your heart to share with and help others. Only then will you find value in your own life.

Mr. Cai, a Tzu Chi volunteer, once contemplated suicide because he was suffering from multiple cancers. Luckily, a relative shed some light into his dark mind with these words of wisdom: “Life is by nature full of suffering. Worrying about it all the time only intensifies your pain. Even Guan Yin Bodhisattva can’t help someone who is constantly overwhelmed by gloom and thoughts of death.” These words gave Cai a new perspective on life: “if I have to die, I’d rather die happy!” Cai was later introduced to Tzu Chi, and he joined as a happy, busy volunteer. Many people’s lives have been brightened by the story of how he overcame his darkest hours, a story that he now shares frequently with others.

Elsewhere, a lady couldn’t get the love of the man she wanted, so the thought of suicide began to ferment in her mind. Then one day she walked into a Tzu Chi office and burst out crying. Several Tzu Chi members rushed to comfort her. After hearing her story, a volunteer said, “Though he doesn’t love you, you have all our love here at Tzu Chi.” With that, the lady joined up as a volunteer janitor. Now flanked by many Tzu Chi friends, she is happier and leads a much more fulfilling life. She said, “I lost someone I loved, but now I’ve gained even more love at Tzu Chi. I’ve also learned that when I forgive others, I’m actually being good to myself because I no longer have to carry around the burden of my resentment. Now I know that losing something doesn’t mean that you don’t have anything else at all.”

That’s the right attitude! If you are able to change your viewpoint and get rid of the dark clouds in your mind, you will find the world beautiful and wide open to you. Life is short, so cherish every moment. If you use each precious moment to help others, life will be more worth living.