Why Jealous?

A class participant asked on how to rid competitive jealousy. My answer is… Always do your best to outdo your previous efforts; not someone else’s, especially since there are so many others. Cultivate rejoice for others doing better and be inspired by their example to personally be better too. Ultimately, there is no end to worldly comparisons, which tend to be cyclical too, as we rise and fall. This is while the ultimate pure examples are the Buddhas, who should inspire us the most with their virtues, so as to emulate them. Just as it does not make sense to be jealous of the Buddhas, it makes even less sense to be jealous of fellow unenlightened beings!