Cultivating Compassion, p 1
Today I wanted to give a brief teaching on the subject of སྙིང་རྗེ། nying je in Tibetan or what we call compassion. This is a topic that we have most likely heard many times throughout our career as Buddhists. We've become very accustomed to hearing this word compassion; we receive teachings on this and we are very familiar with it. But is it something that we have actually practiced? Is it something that we have actually integrated into our practice in such a way that it has really become part of our minds? This is something we need to look at. If we become accustomed to hearing the word, but it's not something that we actually practice, then it becomes something that is without the power that it really has and that it can hold. I want to talk about compassion, how to bring it into practice and the power behind it.
When we hear the word compassion, we usually think in relation to other sentient beings. We see other sentient beings who are undergoing suffering, and we witness that suffering. We have the experience and thought that we want to free sentient beings from the pain that they're experiencing. This is a very abbreviated explanation of compassion: it's the thought, "May beings be free from suffering. What would it be like for them to be free from suffering? It would be wonderful for them to be free from suffering." Having that thought, that is compassion.
We can develop this thought in our minds when we see suffering in this world. We can see suffering that is caused by the four elements; we see it in examples of war, fighting, other beings being harmed. When we witness suffering, we have the thought, "May they be free from that suffering, may they not experience that suffering, may they have happiness." That is the feeling of compassion, the experience of it. This is the general understanding according to the Mahayana, the great vehicle, of what it means to have compassion.
It's really important for us to come to the point where compassion becomes an experience, and it becomes more than just a word for us.
Water of compassion
Our bodies need water. Without water, our bodies become sick. Water is like a medicine. It's like food, it's sustenance. It's something that we absolutely can't do without. Water to the body is like compassion to the mind. Our bodies need water, so does the mind need compassion. When you don't have water in your body, it's easy to become sick, it's easy to fall ill. It's easy to experience all kinds of physical maladies. Similarly, our world, the outer environment needs water, too. When the world or the outer environment is without water, it's very dry, and it burns easily. All it takes is a spark and it can go up in flames.
Similarly, our minds need compassion. Without it, then it's easy for us to become angry. Our minds are untamed, wild. It's easy for a mind without compassion to give rise to anger or different negative emotions. Just as a world that is very dry and without water is easy to burn, compassion is like water for the mind. Just as we need water in the outer world, we also need compassion for the mind.