Compassion Studies, No One Suffers, and other Buddhist musings...
(Discussion with students) Compassion is the most important subject that we can study. It is actually the only subject that you can do something about with your own will power. It is the only dharmic realization that cannot be bestowed up on you. To a certain extent we can be blessed into certain levels of wisdom but the one thing that cannot be given is compassion. It is the very thing that we must struggle and make effort to establish as a core virtue. Compassion in its many forms is the most important subject to study…. and if we fail to transform our mind and stabilize a mind of compassion, we will not become aligned with enlightened mind. So, how many times do you think you have failed? In how many lives do you think you have failed? Student: Innumerable. Rinpoche: Innumerable? Anybody got a number? Student: Millions. Rinpoche: Maybe not millions. Student: Twelve hundred. Rinpoche: Twelve hundred. That’s a good number. I don't know if it's a true number, but anyway. ~ D...