 True Compassion aims at bringing enlightenment.
"Shakyammuni Buddha"
by Pieter Weltevrede
(Click the picture for a larger image) While Sadness is an ingredient of Compassion, true Compassion goes beyond Sadness to an unending kindness that doesn't taste like Sadness at all, in which the Sadness of Sadness evaporates in Love and truth.
True Compassion involves the recognition that the suffering of others (as well as their joy) is also our own. Nobody has any problem that is not related to ignorance and ignorance is the fate of all who are not enlightened. If we can feel sorry for others without feeling any better than them, we may experience the highest Karuna.
True Compassion is without discrimination and can be felt for
humans as well as for animals, plants, or enemies. It makes us a kind
person, extending loving kindness to every being we meet. This depth of
Compassion is beautifully expressed in the story of the saint that lifted a
scorpion out of the water to carry it to safety, even though it was stinging
him. Both the saint and the scorpion were doing nothing but following
their dharma.
Buddha did not feel pity for the suffering of others but for the ignorance
that causes suffering and that is why he set himself on the path
of self-realization. When becoming enlightened, the one who vows
to continue to reincarnate until all beings are enlightened as well is
called a Bodhisattva. The Dalai Lama is a good example of this Compassion
discipline. Compassion plays a very central role in Buddhism, where the term "Karuna" is much more directly translated as Compassion, rather than Sadness.
Real Compassion is a divine quality that makes a person a real
human being. This Karuna polishes our consciousness of the Divine,
making it stand out more clearly and beautifully. It is the cause of many
spiritual thoughts and ideas and promotes religion very well. The Christian
cross is a powerful symbol of Karuna, of suffering out of Compassion
for others.
However, the true saint will not forget that the feeling of Compassion is just another illusion and not in itself desirable for one who sees through the illusion of maya. He will always remember that true suffering is caused by ignorance and that true help consists of bringing enlightenment.
The above texts were extracted from the book "The Yoga of the Nine Emotions", which fully explains these subjects. |
