THE WISDOM OF COMPASSION
by contemplativeinquiry
“Toward all beings maintain unbiased thoughts and speak unbiased words. Toward all beings give birth to thoughts and words of kindness instead of anger, compassion instead of harm, joy instead of jealousy, equanimity instead of prejudice, humility instead of arrogance, sincerity instead of deceit, compromise instead of stubbornness, assistance rather than avoidance, liberation instead of obstruction, kinship instead of animosity.” (1,2)
Humanism extends our circle of care to all humans, clearly a high bar in our current state of culture. Druidry, certainly an animist Druidry embracing deep ecology, asks us to extend it further – to all beings. At first glance, it seems like a complicated and demanding ask in a world where life lives off other life, and where cooperation and competition necessarily co-arise. Yet for some people this stance towards the world is (or becomes) natural.
The passage in my first paragraph offers guidance on the Bodhisattva path in Mahayana Buddhism. Followers of the path let go of any quest for personal liberation to work for the liberation of all beings. Sometimes this is understood as a postponement of personal liberation, but the deeper insight is that ‘personal’ liberation makes no sense. In an interconnected and interdependent cosmos, only the liberation of all counts as any liberation at all.
In the Diamond Sutra (3) the definition of ‘beings’, put into the mouth of the Buddha himself, is as broad and inclusive as possible: “however many species of living beings there are – whether born from eggs, from the womb, from moisture, or spontaneously; whether they have form or no form; whether they have perceptions or do not have perceptions, we must lead all these beings to the ultimate nirvana so that they can be liberated.” Then the Buddha adds: “And when this innumerable, immeasurable, infinite number of beings has become liberated, we do not in truth think that a single being has been liberated”.
Thich Nhat Hanh (3) understands this last statement as saying “a true practitioner helps all living beings in a natural and spontaneous way, without distinguishing the one who is helping from the one who is being helped. When our left hand is injured, our right hand takes care of it right away. It doesn’t stop to say: ‘I am taking care of you. You are benefitting from my compassion’. The right hand knows very well that the left hand is also the right hand. There is no distinction between them. This is the principle of interbeing – co-existence, or mutual interdependence. ‘This is because that is’.”
I am not a Buddhist. I do not share the classical Buddhist views of karma and reincarnation. I do not associate final physical death with the term ‘liberation’. But I am aware of not, ever, being on my own – even when being, in the world’s terms, solitary. Apparent boundaries between me and my world are too soft: relationships are happening all the time. With this sense of the world in mind, the words below, repeated from the first paragraph, seem like common sense.
“Toward all beings maintain unbiased thoughts and speak unbiased words. Toward all beings give birth to thoughts and words of kindness instead of anger, compassion instead of harm, joy instead of jealousy, equanimity instead of prejudice, humility instead of arrogance, sincerity instead of deceit, compromise instead of stubbornness, assistance rather than avoidance, liberation instead of obstruction, kinship instead of animosity.” (1,2)
(1) From the Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-five Thousand Lines translated into English by Edward Conze, Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1975 and cited in (2), below
(2) Red Pine, The Diamond Sutra: the Perfection of Wisdom. Text and Commentaries translated from Sanskrit and Chinese Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint, 2001 See: https://www.counterpointpress.com
(3) Thich Nhat Hanh The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Diamond Sutra Berkeley, CA Parallax Press, 201
NOTE: Versions of the Diamond Sutra appeared as written texts in Sanskrit in the 2nd century C.E. and this version was translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the early 5th century C.E. Works of this kind were used more for recitation and chanting in monastic settings than they were for silent reading.
Contemplative Inquiry 
“Only the liberation of all counts as any liberation at all.” A brilliant turn of phrase. I appreciate how such a phrase can help me remember this wisdom.
Thanks for this comment – I am glad this turn of phrase helps!
While there’s a lot I like about this, there’s a lot to be alert to around who wants to be helped and who needs to do things on their own terms. when help is given, it has to be in a way that actually supports – too often the idea of being helpful in an unconsidered way can run roughshod over people.
Thanks for this comment and the point you make. I know the Thich Nhat Hanh quote features ‘help’ – which can indeed be interfering if unsolicited and unaware. However, for me, overall, this tradition points to an underlying stance towards the world and relationship that is open, sensitive and prepared to be friendly. Any action depends on circumstance, and it’s not always easy to know what kind of action (or inaction) is best.
Having read some of his work I have no doubt that held in context that would be much clearer, it’s just something I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about 🙂
Ostensibly a simple statement ‘The wisdom of Compassion’ ,
‘The golden rule ‘ – ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you ‘ ,but extremely complex to live by ,the bar is extremely high !.
From the none duality principle, to cause harm will ultimately unbalance the whole ( cutting off one’s nose to spite the face ) .
Idealism versus pragmatism. Right and wrong.
My neighbour wants to cut down the last tree on Earth this winter, to keep the family warm ,we know next springtime there will be no oxygen to breathe for them or us ?
The sky and seas give us gifts in there benign way ,they also have the stormy potential to take us away ?
To offer the helping hand ? To accept the helping hand ?
…if the raft is sinking both sides will be lost .Humanity.
The cold light of day ?
Thanks for these reflections Andy. As you say, the challenges are complex and the bar extremely high. Thrown into impossible dilemmas, we muddle though as best we can.