Hi ED, Zen has always been suspect in Buddhist circles for being a bit.... well, mean when it comes to compassion. I think it's human to feel compassion for people, in exactly the same way as defined by the examples you gave us. I never want to lose that side of my personal nature. However, when we think of an act or a thought as compassionate, we are ultimately deluding ourselves. First, there is no I nor 'other' to feel compassion for. And second, labeling an emotion is necessarily limiting and clearly not the emotion experienced itself. Although it is useful, to a degree, to read those definitions it is much better to sit silently and be the experience those words evoke.
Mike --- On Wed, 13/6/12, ED <[email protected]> wrote: From: ED <[email protected]> Subject: [Zen] Re: The Self Illusion To: [email protected] Date: Wednesday, 13 June, 2012, 8:46 Hi Bill and All - Three definitions of compassion from the Internet are: "Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others." "A deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering. "The humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it" What would a typical Buddhist or zen definition of compassion be? --ED --- In [email protected], Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> wrote: > > Sheng Yen was a great monk. His word about compassion brings the question of > the results of zen practice. Does it bring about inhuman characteristics of > no compassion? He also said, 'sit down and shut up'. But that does not rule > out the ensuing compassion. > > Anthony
