Please tell me about self-interest and altruism.

Thank you very much for having the courage to ask lotus questions. The term self-interest and altruism is a concept with a very broad meaning. The way of thinking also differs depending on the denomination, so I'd like to state slightly what I think will be the first step in my own way (lotus leaves have a character limit of 1,000 characters...)

First of all, Buddhism is not a teaching about seeking or obtaining happiness in the world. The purpose of Buddhism is to overcome the confusion of reincarnation, such as liberation from life and death. It's about leaving the world, isn't it? However, as a by-product of this, there are things that calm your mind and give you a different perspective from the world. There is an aspect that the goal itself is not to be happy in the world. The Buddha himself was a former prince and saw a painful appearance full of wars, strife, and desires in the world, and became a monk saying that this kind of world was too painful and that he couldn't do it anymore. At first glance, Shakyamuni's words are extremely cold: “Being close creates fear, and dirt comes from family life. There is no family life, and there is no closeness; that is the position of a wise man. (Suttanipata)” “Even though this world is burning up, what exactly is laughter, what is joy. Why don't you look for light when you're covered in darkness. (Dhammapada)”... etc. It's not dark, and it can be said that it's a human point of view that determines without deception.

Self-interest means benefiting oneself through one's own practice. It's about completing Buddhism and making it happen. Altruism is the act of applying merit to other sentient beings by benefiting others. In Mahayana Buddhism, it has come to be thought that altruism becomes self-interest as it is. Therefore, it is basic that both self-interest and altruism are directed towards enlightenment. The idea that anything would be altruistic is not the Buddha's idea.

The problem with humans is ignorance. Ignorance means not knowing the truth. There are times when we work hard to do good things and make people suffer because of that. It's not good to hurt people, but even if you don't hurt them, you can hurt people. For example, parents who are enthusiastic about education may distort or distort their children by thinking that they are working so hard for their children. I don't know what is correct (= ignorance, ignorance). Buddhism works to grieve the entire existence of such people and try to show the truth.
Please continue to study on your own and listen to the opinions of other monks. Please feel free to ask questions again.

The “self-interest” that Buddhism aims for is enlightenment.
The reason we aim for enlightenment is that if we become enlightened, our worries and suffering disappear, and we can also be freed from reincarnation where suffering is repeated.
Worries Suffering is caused by afflictions.
In order to get rid of worries, it is necessary to understand (notice and be convinced of the truth).
Once you become enlightened and your worries go away, your obsession with life will disappear, and you will also be freed from reincarnation.
Aiming for enlightenment through practice in Buddhism can be said to be “self-interest.”

That I'm not in pain.
That your opponent doesn't suffer either.

What are you going to do your best for your opponent?
Will that make the other person happy?
Will your partner be happy even if you seem to be in pain?

“My joy is that my partner is happy”
There is such a thing
You've already suffered.

From now on
Why don't you prioritize your fun?
Things you enjoy and your partner will enjoy too
Why don't you find one?

[Self-interest and altruism]
Your partner's joy = your own joy
Simple self-sacrifice is far from [self-interest, altruism, and happiness].

It seems that one day, a couple who lost their child ordered two children's lunches at a Disneyland restaurant. However, at Disneyland, there is a rule that children's lunches can only be served to children. When the clerk politely declined that they couldn't give it to adults, the couple said, “I'm sorry. Today was the anniversary of my child's death...” she regretfully spilled. The clerk who heard that said, set aside the rules and prepared a children's lunch and said, “Welcome to today. Please relax with the “3 people” of parents and children.” I added the words and served 3 people. The couple shed heavy tears and were delighted.

At a later date, a letter of thanks to Disneyland was received from the couple, and it is said that the clerk who received it broke down crying with so much joy.

Disneyland is famous for its detailed and strict manuals, but in order to make visitors happy, they recommend making more and more efforts even by jumping over the manual. It is said that most of the employees, who are fascinated by the emotion that comes from it and work hard with sincere joy, are part-time jobs. In other words, it's not about treatment; they want to see customers enjoying themselves, they are happy to see customers happy, and they work with joy and dedication.

In the order of early Buddhism,
First,
Nurture my heart so that I am happy (self-interest)
Next,
Nurture my heart so that my close life will be happy (self-interest, etc.)
Finally,
May all lives be happy (Buddha's feelings?) , and nurture the mind
In that order, I will do my best to make my heart grow a lot.

I say “think about your surroundings” to selfish people, but conversely, to people who work hard at self-sacrifice, they say, “So, are you happy yourself? Aren't you tired? Is your family okay?” Ask them to look back on whether they have achieved their own happiness, etc.
First, ensure your own happiness. If you are well-equipped, you will be able to act for others for the first time. You don't have to fall down together.
Only calm people who are professional swimmers and can grasp conditions such as waves and water temperature can help drowning people.

Self-interest and altruism
Also, it is called autonomization, etc. (jigyoketa).
In a nutshell, they are Bodhisattvas, and they do things themselves and save others.

Speaking of Bodhisattvas, we tend to think of them as objects that are far away and worshiped, but in reality, our actions, that is, we improve our efforts, and save others. The very act is what a Bodhisattva does.
It's probably painful for Kaori because she even sacrifices herself. Actually, the ideal is to have fun and be rich and at ease together.

There's nothing difficult. Please feel confident and rejoice in what has been done until now. And from now on, it's okay to rejoice with others.
That is true “self-interest.”