Kindness is foundational to Buddhism
Matthieu Ricard asked HHDL “I’m going [to a] retreat. What is your advice?” HHDL said, “In the beginning, meditate on compassion; in the middle, meditate on compassion; in the end, meditate on compassion.”
My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.
–Dalai Lama
“If you want to be wisely selfish, care for others.”
— Dalai Lama XIV
When in doubt, love more
-Abby Layton
Kindness is foundational to many religions
“That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow; that is the whole Torah, the rest is commentary.”
–Rabbi Hillel
A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.
–Proverbs 11:17
When we practice loving kindness and compassion we are the first ones to profit.
-Rumi
The Prophet (saw) said: “Allah is kind, and he loves kindness in all matters,”
-(Bukhari 6528)
The Heart Sutra
The Heart Sutra, a most beloved Sutra for Mahayana Buddhists, doesn’t make mention of compassion, metta, or kindness at all.
The Four Noble Truths don’t mention compassion. The Noble Eightfold Path doesn’t mention compassion.
What is the relationship between wisdom and compassion?
4. The Bodhisattvacaryavatara (A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life) by Shantideva:
Though not a sutra spoken by the historical Buddha himself, this classic Mahayana text is a comprehensive and influential exposition of the Bodhisattva path. It extensively details the cultivation of bodhicitta (the mind of enlightenment for the sake of all beings), which is the perfect fusion of wisdom (understanding emptiness) and compassion (the wish to liberate all from suffering). Shantideva repeatedly shows how these two qualities are interdependent and necessary for progress on the path.
“Just as a bird needs two wings to fly, so a practitioner needs both wisdom and compassion to reach enlightenment.”
The interdependence is explained as follows:
Without wisdom, compassion can be blind or ineffective. If one doesn’t understand the root causes of suffering (ignorance, attachment, aversion), their efforts to help might be misdirected or even create more problems. Wisdom provides the discerning clarity to act skillfully.
Without compassion, wisdom can be cold or selfish. True wisdom in Buddhism leads to the realization of interconnectedness and the understanding that “individual me” and “individual you” are mistaken ideas. This realization naturally gives rise to boundless compassion for all beings. A wisdom that only benefits oneself is considered incomplete.
Metta & Compassion
Metta is wishing an old woman well as she’s about to cross a street. Compassion is the urge to go help her across the street.
Further study
Certificate Program in Wise Compassion at the Nalanda Institute ($3,400)
https://nalandainstitute.org/cpp-compassion-24-25
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