January 8 - The Ethic of Compassion, Dalai Lama

January 8
Excerpt from "The Ethic of Compassion" in Ancient Wisdom, Modern World: Ethics for the New Millennium by the Dalai Lama.

We noted earlier that all the world's major religions stress the importance of cultivating love and compassion. In the Buddhist philosophical tradition, different levels of attainment are described. At a basic level, compassion (nying je) is understood mainly in terms of empathy - our ability to enter into and, to some extent, share others' suffering. But Buddhists - and perhaps others - believe that this can be developed to such a degree that not only does our compassion arise without any effort, but it is unconditional, undifferentiated and universal in scope. A feeling of intimacy toward all other sentient beings, including, of course, those who would harm us, is generated. This is likened in the literature to the love a mother has for her only child.

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Consider, too, that habitually our feelings toward others depend very much on their circumstances. Most people, when they see someone who is handicapped, feel sympathetic toward that person. But when they see others who compared with themselves are wealthier, or better educated, or better placed socially, they immediately feel envious and competitive toward them. Our negative feelings prevent us from seeing the sameness of ourselves and all others. We forget that just like us, whether fortunate or unfortunate, distant or near, they desire to be happy and not to suffer.

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Compassion and love are not mere luxuries. As the source both of inner and external peace, they are fundamental to the continued survival of our species. On the one hand, they constitute non-violence in action. On the other, they are the source of all spiritual qualities: of forgiveness, tolerance and all the virtues. Moreover, they are the very things that give meaning to our activities. They are what makes them constructive. There is nothing amazing about being highly educated; there is nothing amazing about being rich. Only when the individual has a warm heart do these attributes become worthwhile.