The Jewel In The Wisdom Of Compassion

Ordinary compassion is sympathetic pity and concern for the suffering or misfortunes of others, but the original meaning comes from the old Latin compati:‘suffer with’.

Misunderstanding compassion is pitying from afar, which is just a wishful prayer. The origin is to suffer with – that is to say, empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. We have been there, felt that. If we don’t feel it, we can make things worse through moral platitudes.

Wisdom in compassion is more than just chanting “Om mani peme hum” for decades on our cushion, like a lucky charm 🙂 It’s vital to know what “Om mani peme hum” means.

To be compassionate, we need generosity, patience, discipline, morality, concentration and, above all, transcendent wisdom/knowledge. With knowing sentient reality of pure consciousness – which is the essence of all beings that they haven’t yet noticed or acknowledged – comes a subtle sadness and a wish to help, but not in a pitying way. Cutting though delusion takes skill and tenacity, otherwise we may do harm with cliches.

The jewel in compassionate wisdom is emptiness – a pure heart. We do not have to acquire this profound quality; we are it already.

Wisdom is joy and sadness.

This is why all smiles and laughter
for the photo shoot will not do 🙂

Uncovering our ego-clinging needs precise skill and practice,
before we can attempt it with others.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly;
but then face to face: now I know in part;
but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three;
but the greatest of these is charity.”
1 Corinthians 13:13

Charity:
Expecting nothing in return by remaining in Shunyata/emptiness.