Compassionate? Are you sure? (part 01)

April 2016 edition

Compassionate? Are you sure? (part 01)

Article summary

This editorial is to talk about the mistaken compassion we have in our hearts.

Sometimes some feelings we misunderstand as compassion cause to create the totally opposite thoughts on the other party.  As an example;

When your cat caught another animal may be a beautiful bird or little innocent squirrel your mind leads you to act badly upon the cat to sake of saving the other animal… may be you hit the cat… you get angry with cat… etc. and you think you are compassionate to all beings by favoring just to one side only. Then?

For the sake of saving some animals we use our mind, body & words critically upon the butcher or the non-vegetarian persons or fishermen etc., and you think you are compassionate to all beings by favoring just to one side only.  Then?

For the sake of your own religion, race or status you use your mind, body & words badly upon the other religions, races or status etc., and you think you are compassionate to all beings by favoring just to one side only. Then?

There are monks & nuns who lives in monasteries.  They live with lesser comforts.   And you think they are the one who deserve the best as they are the real followers of Buddhism and you use your mind, body & words to ignore & disrespect the monks who lives in city temples and spend a luxurious life and you think you are equally respect to all monks & nuns who lives all around the world and you are compassionate to all beings… Then?

You spread the good words according to your religion and even though the same teachings comes from a different form, you ignore the same teaching by thinking they are different because their appearance is difference.  Then you use your mind, body & words to battle with the situations etc., but you think you are a good follower of Dhamma or whatever the religion you follow, and you think you are compassionate to all beings by favoring just to one side only. Then?

You believe your god is the greatest and when others describe about their own god you use your mind, body & words to disrespect the gods… you believe the path to become a god is far more better than the path to become a lower realm being & same time you disrespect the higher realms beings & the path to higher realms just because of the words are not the same as your belief… but you still believe that you respect the god no matter who are they “I believe in god” and … then?

So, now examine your own behaviors… your own thoughts… do you behave like above? Do you believe you are compassionate? 

Then be careful!  Coz this isn’t the compassion.  This is just another form of selfishness.  Your attraction toward to the view you are holding is the one which makes you behave like this. 

Being kind to only one side is not compassion.  It is a level of craving driven by selfishness.  What good will bring this kind of compassion? Without being annoyed with me for saying like this, think about it.  Even animals have the very same kind of compassion & quality. They are also so compassionate to their own selected party that they believe are “MINE”.

The defilement come as a friend. Find out your own fault… find out what is missed and find out what you hiding from your own self. Accept your faults and be compassionate to yourself to correct these faults. Then the real compassion will arise equally to all beings.

Because when you find out your own faults you can see the others also have the same quality without a less and you automatically feel sorry for them.  Then you can support & equally treat them to get rid of those evil qualities. That is the compassion should be within us.  Let’s talk about more about the same topic through next editorial.

Have a blessed time!

Rajitha Viduransi | Kelaniya, Sri Lanka