What is Compassion?
If someone is having a bad dream in which they are clearly disturbed and suffering, what is the compassionate thing to do? Do you talk to them to understand what the dream is about and try and give them instructions on how to escape whatever it is that is troubling them or tell them to pray for divine intervention? Or do you shake them and tell them "wake up it's only a dream"? Then they discover that none of it was true and all their problems are solved at a stroke.
Well, if you are reading this it is because you wrote it yourself. Wake up it's only a dream.
You as Ramana Maharshi - 1921
I have struggled with compassion in the past for some time. I studied martial arts, and their perspective was from buddhism, but from a martial arts perspective of buddhism and compassion.
Sometimes, compassion means that we have to throw some things at someone that will trouble them. Sometimes compassion is being willing to hurt this person who is trying to end our lives, or at least harm us in a serious way in order to help him get the lessons he needs.
Over time I was able to develop a deeper sense of compassion. An understanding that compassion is about helping, regardless of the actions we take to offer the lesson.
Sometimes, compassion is breaking a man's arm so that he is able to learn that trying to take and harm other people is not the best option for him.
It's all in our hearts. If my intention is just to smash this person, or humiliate them, or protect myself and my ego, or anything that is ego driven, then I am wrong with my actions.
If my intention is to be a conduit for universal wisdom and knowledge, then my actions have purpose and meaning, and thus, are useful for the individual, even if they don't like the teaching method.
It's a very fine line sometimes, and we need to be very, very clear on our motives.
Hi Dwayne
Thanks for dropping by - I would say (putting on my relative hat and accepting the apparent existence of separate beings) that true compassion involves first discovering the truth. Only someone who understands the truth and lives it in his daily life is of any use to anyone. So 'what is truth'? The notion of truth is only a concept. Truth itself is seen when all concepts cease. For people interested in meeting someone in whom all concepts have ceased I would recommend they google 'Ramana Maharshi'.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, as you say, motives are very important but ultimately the notion of an ego that exists as a reality is only a notion and a fleeting one at that.
I tried your podcast BTW but it doesn't seem to be working - it gave me an error message. Vic