Compassion and loving kindness are essential to practice Buddha`s teachings. Buddha was asked by Ananda, “Would it be true to say that the cultivation of loving kindness and compassion is a part of our practice?” Buddha replied, “No, it would no be true to say that the cultivation of loving kindness and compassion is part of our practice. It would be true to say that the cultivation of living kindness and compassion is all of our practice.” It is experiential heart of the Buddha`s teachings.
Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. Person`s heart make the good move at the pain of others and crushes and destroys the pain of others. Compassion is also referred to as empathy (anudāyanā) commiseration (dayā) fellow feeling (anuggaha) or sympathy (anukampā) in Buddhist psychology.
It gives birth to all the other virtues. So it is the second of four Brahma Vihāras and was more highly praised by the Buddha than any other. As venerable S. Dhammika thera reports Jātakamāla said that compassion gave birth to all the virtues as cooling rain made the crops grow. When you are compassionate you have no desire to harm your neighbor. Your body, speech, and mind are purified and kindness, patience, happiness and good reputation grow.
The compassionate person does not arouse fear in the mind of others. He is trusted like a kinsman; he is not agitated by the passion, the fire of hatred dose not blaze in his heart. He is safe from the society and live with happy and well.
When you practice compassion, you actively look for the beauty, generosity and goodness in people. The seat is offered for disabled or aged people in the bus, it means you practice compassion and you are happy with your generosity.
It is easy to begin practice of compassion by giving thanks for the people you are grateful for in your personal life such as your parents, children, spouse, friends and other family member who give you love and support. If someone of them would be suffering, help them to alleviate suffering. On the Vesak day, generosity people held “Dansal” (foods are offered for people) with compassion.
It is the way to bring happy practice compassion. As Dalai Lama has said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion! If you want to be happy, practice compassion!
