The Dharma

What is Compassion?

For years I have been trying to really understand what is Compassion and where is its role in practice. Everyone says Wisdom and Compassion: wisdom must be balanced with compassion; wisdom is like a sword and compassion like a lamp, etc. This is as if wisdom and compassion are dualities which one has to switch from one another in appropriate times. It is like Compassion is the right brain and Wisdom is the left brain.

In this 3rd Global Conference on Buddhism, which ended just yesterday, I heard Benny Liow mentioned, "Mindfulness - Compassion - Wisdom" and suddenly everything simply falls into place. Mindfulness, Compassion and Wisdom are the same, just as impermanence, dukkha and non self are the same. When one sees Mindfulness, one sees Compassion and Wisdom. Similarly when one sees Compassion, one sees Mindfulness and Wisdom. Finally when one sees Wisdom, one sees Mindfulness and Compassion. There is no need to "toggle" amongst these 3. If we need to even try "toggling", then we fall into the realm of concepts and beliefs and the mindfulness is not true mindfulness, compassion is not true compassion and wisdom not true wisdom.

I was afraid that I do not have compassion, but now I know it is the opposite -- that's no way I can shake off my compassion. If defilements are gone, it shines brightly from our Buddha nature. If it does not shine, it could only mean that my defilements are not gone. It is like fire (compassion) is the manifestation of heat (mindfulness), and light (wisdom) is the fruit. They are one and the same. If there is no fire, it only means there is not enough heat. When there is enough heat, there will naturally be fire.

Some people work on getting the fire, while some people work on generating the heat. Nonetheless all who try will eventually get the fruit, which is the light. We could spend years arguing whether there is fire first or heat first, or fire is more important or heat is more important. Alternatively, the sooner we walk the Path, the sooner we may get the light, and see that all three are one. This is the law of cause and effect.

With Metta,
-- by Lee Hon Sing. June 14, 2003. All ignorance is mine.

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