Wisdom and Compassion
Wisdom and Compassion
Content
I often hear Buddhists talk about wisdom and compassion. What do these two
terms mean?
So what, according to Buddhism, is wisdom?
I think few people could do this. So what is the point of Buddhism if only a
few can practise it?
What, according to Buddhism, is compassion?
So you are saying that we are best able to help others after we have helped
ourselves. Isn't that a bit selfish?
Q: I often hear Buddhists talk about wisdom and compassion. What do these two terms mean?
A: With love but without wisdom, one end up being a good-hearted fool, a very kind person
but with very little or no understanding. Other systems of thought like science, believe that
wisdom can best be developed when all emotions, including compassion, are kept out of the way.
The outcome of this is that science has tended to become preoccupied with results and has
forgotten that science is to serve man, not to control and dominate him. How, otherwise could
scientists have lent their skills to develop the nuclear bomb, germ warfare, and the like.
Buddhism teaches that to be truly balanced and complete individual, you must develop both
wisdom and compassion. This is based on experience.
Q: So what, according to Buddhism, is wisdom?
A: The highest wisdom is seeing that in reality all phenomena are incomplete, impermanent,
and not self. This understanding is totally freeing and leads to the great security and
happiness which is called Nirvana. However, the Buddha did not speak too much about this level
of wisdom. It is not wisdom if we simply believe what we are told. True wisdom is to directly
see and understand for ourselves. At this level then, wisdom is to keep an open mind rather
than being closed-minded, listening to other points of view rather than being bigoted; to
carefully examine facts that contradict our beliefs, rather than burying our heads in the
sand; to be objective rather than prejudiced; to take time about forming our opinions and
beliefs rather than just accepting the first or most emotional thing that is offered to us;
and to always be ready to change our beliefs when facts that contradict them are presented to
us. A person who does this is certainly wise and is certain to eventually arrive at true
understanding. The path of just believing what you are told is easy. The Buddhist path
requires courage, patience, flexibility and intelligence.
Q: I think few people could do this. So what is the point of Buddhism if only a few can
practise it?
A: It is true that not everyone is ready for Buddhism yet. If not everyone has the
capacity to understand it yet, they perhaps will be ready for it in
their next life. However, there are many who, with just the right words or encouragement, are
able to increase their understanding. And it is for this reason that Buddhists gently and
quietly strive to share the insights of Buddhism with others. The Buddha taught us out of
compassion and we teach others out of compassion too.
Q: What, according to Buddhism, is compassion?
A: Just as wisdom covers the intellectual or comprehending side of our nature. Like wisdom,
compassion covers the emotional or feeling side of our nature. Like wisdom, compassion is a
uniquely human quality. Compassion is made up of two words, 'co' meaning together and 'passion'
meaning a strong feeling. And this is what compassion is. When we see someone in distress and
we feel their pain as if it were our own, and strive to eliminate or lessen their pain, then
this is compassion. So all the best in human beings, all the Buddha-like qualities like
sharing, readiness to give comfort, sympathy concern and caring - all are manifestations of
compassion. You will notice also that in the compassionate person, care and love towards
others has its origins in care and love for oneself. We can really understand others when we
really understand ourselves. We will know what's best for others when we know what's best for
ourselves. We can feel for others when we feel for ourselves. So in Buddhism, one's spiritual
development blossoms quite naturally into concern for the welfare of others. The Buddha's life
illustrates this very well. He spent six years struggling for his own welfare, after which, he
was able to be of benefit to the whole of mankind.
Q: So you are saying that we are best able to help others after we have helped ourselves.
Isn't that a bit selfish?
A: We usually see concern for others before oneself, as being the opposite of selfishness,
concern for oneself before others. Buddhism does not see it as either one or the other but
rather as a blending of the two. Genuine self-concern will gradually mature into concern for
others as one sees that others are really the same as oneself. This is genuine compassion.
Compassion is the most beautiful jewel in the crown of The Buddha's teachings.