..续本文上一页 for the better. We do not even know where to start, or how to do anything properly. We are lost and confused, like blind people in an intersection. The karma continues as the fruits of karma ripen.
Only as we get over our tendencies and begin to understand the deeper levels of our own suffering can we start to develop compassion for others. At that point it will not feel so terrible to witness suffering because you will not feel so self-protective. You will not feel you are going to get sucked in to the suffering you see around you. But, right now, your heart is shut down. You cannot even handle your own suffering. Only when we get over our tendencies can we begin to open up to and understand all suffering as “one taste”. We learn that exposing our hearts and opening up to other beings” suffering can actually decrease our own suffering. It can make our hearts tender, one with others” hearts. We want all beings to be free from suffering. We feel incredible love inside of us. That love becomes a wish to extend ourselves to others in any way that we could. We feel willing to take on suffering because it does a good thing for us. It breaks our cocoons. We become very thankful to have a chance to witness suffering, because it helps give us a new heart, a new friend inside, a new vision—to take care of ourselves and others with joy and openness.
Do not pretend that you are some kind of powerful god. When you feel helpless, just accept the helplessness. You are not anything other than equal to all other sentient beings—vulnerable and helpless. Being helpless exposes our hearts to suffering. It develops our tenderness, increases the rawness, awakens our wisdom minds, and helps us understand and appreciate things we never thought we would appreciate, such as suffering and the causes of suffering. It is when you find out the causes of suffering and can connect the causes of suffering to the suffering itself that you find an incredible sense of compassion. That is the beginning of turning from a samsaric person to a person on the path, a person who could actually do something for others. That is why we say that suffering is the direct cause of compassion, and compassion is the direct cause of the aspiration for enlightenment. True compassion is beyond idiot compassion, beyond ignorant mind; true compassion understands suffering in a purer way.
We have to understand how to cultivate and feel the taste of compassion. Expose yourself to someone in tremendous suffering. Right away you will think: “I do not want to hear about this person”s suffering. I do not want to be disturbed by this suffering.” Even though, in some ways, you might feel a small seed of compassion, there is still an element inside you saying: “I do not want to hear about this suffering. I do not want to be disturbed hearing about this suffering. I am suffering enough myself. I am disturbed enough. I do not want to be any more disturbed. I am in a short period of peace. I do not want to lose my peace.” So, you may say: “Sorry,” to the person suffering, but it comes from your habitual mind and your negative emotions. Your heart remains tightly closed.
You have to establish a ground of compassion in order to understand how another person is suffering. You have to feel the suffering deep inside of you so a certain type of tenderness can come about. If we do not learn how to develop compassionate feelings, it is no use whatsoever to simply witness beings” suffering. There is so much suffering around us that we try to shut our eyes and hearts all the time and pretend to see and feel nothing.
If you can feel the person”s suffering from your helpless state, your heart will open up and become very tender. You will wish for the person to be free from the suffering. You will feel close and connected. You will feel compassion. You become thankful to the people suffering because their suffering helps bring you out of your rotten cocoon. It makes you a little bit more fearless, a little bit more accepting, a little bit more willing. Anything you do from a compassionate place is going to be a great thing to do. Anything you do without compassion is not going to be a great thing to do at all.
Edited from Personal Link - January 23, 2000 - "Four Immeasurables: Compassion"
《Getting Over the Fear of Suffering》全文阅读结束。