Joe, I am talking about compassion in lay terms. I don't think it is automatic. For example, when a mafia member kills, loots and rapes, where is the compassion? anthony
________________________________ From: Joe <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, 13 June 2012, 21:00 Subject: [Zen] Re: The Self Illusion Anthony, I think in fact that wisdom and compassion arise faster than ideas of good or evil can arise. Compassion and wisdom are like lightning. They take no time to come into being and to function. So, compassion makes it to the finish-line before good or evil can even rear its head. (And after compassion and wisdom arise, there are no ideas of good and evil, either. Usually the mind is entirely empty or still, and you cannot even force yourself to have a thought, for days, weeks, months, or years). But this is "zen-" compassion, as you call it, and not any other kind, "idiot-" or otherwise. There is definitely wisdom and compassion. These are the ONLY functions of the awakened sentient being. No matter what activity we carry out, wisdom and compassion are behind them. Really, we can't separate the activity from wisdom and compassion. So we learn through practice, ...not to take anybody's word for it! How about you, do you have pretty good practice opportunities and conditions? It may not seem easy for us householders, but even if we were monastics, we'd still have to practice. --Joe > Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> wrote: > You often here zen does not differerentiate between 'good' and 'evil'. Does > that mean there is no compassion?
