Real compassion is the ability to see through people’s ignorance. Forgive them for it. To see that all people have Buddha nature. To understand that all living beings will pass away. To see that all living beings are facing the four detriments. Birth, sickness, old age and death. Compassion comes from seeing and accepting how things are.
A mistake though that is made is mixing compassion with altruism. Altruism can be extreme. Disregarding oneself for others is ‘idealistically’ attractive but hardly practical. One must have strength to help others. Not the opposite. Altruism can lead to weakness and negation of one’s own needs. This is hardly compassionate to oneself.
Compassion is this delicate balance between some for me and some for thee.
The earth produces limitless amounts of food and nourishment without asking for anything in return. It has done so for a long time. Humans take much from the earth. Yet the earth does not complain.
The Lord Buddha unbinded from Dukkha. He destroyed ignorance. Through this great miracle the Buddha freed himself from bondage and delusion. A great compassionate act to himself. After that he guided many to the same realisation. The Buddha did not have to do a single thing. He could of kept his knowledge to himself. Not shared a single thing. Thus he taught out of compassion and goodwill for all living beings. He taught and guided indiscriminately.
At present it is 2564 years since the Buddha’s passing. Yet today we still are benefitting from his compassion. Think about it.
