Brad Warner posted the other day an article on his blog that talked about compassion. Because every time he addresses this issue, he reiterated this Zen koan which asks Ungo ancestor ancestor Dogo: "What does the Bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) with all his arms and all his eyes?" The Another responds: "It as someone who extends the hand behind his head in the night to readjust her pillow. "
Here it refers to representations of Avalokiteshvara" with a thousand arms and thousand eyes ", because As a bodhisattva of compassion, he sees all and has arm around to act for the benefit of all beings.
So we Brad Warner said that compassion is a form of selfishness. Not the common variety where one tries to take everything without leaving anything for others, but in a sense that the word "compassion" is not synonymous with sacrifice.
Nishijima Roshi said that the state equilibrium in zazen we can do exactly what we want. But most of us do not really understand what we really want. We imagine all want without regard for others, but it's wrong! We are intimately connected to the deepest level with everything and everyone with whom we interact. At this level, what we want for ourselves and for others is strictly the same.
If you go see a good musician in concert, we can see the true compassion in action. The good musician does not write songs or music to sacrifice for others. It does not happen to save all beings, but this is exactly what he does for his fans. For him, this action is absolutely natural, it does exactly what it wants to do as he wants to. In this sense, his actions are selfish to the utmost, even narcissistic. Yet this activity where it deals only with himself, because he feels it's good for him, helping others in many immeasurable.
This is the type of compassion between the koan refers Ungo and Dogo, about the hand that stretches to find the pillow at night. True compassion has nothing to do with the idea of compassion.
other hand, Joshu Sasaki Roshi said: "Zen is not the way saints. But it is sometimes useful to imitate their behavior. "There are times when it is difficult to know exactly what you want. Then there may be good to imagine what a compassionate person and would be ideal. But when it does, it must be equally careful that if we acted in a purely selfish as it may be even more dangerous.
If there is a butterfly trying to emerge from its cocoon, one could imagine that would help the right thing to do. But if you do that, he was condemned: the effort to get out of its cocoon is needed to strengthen its wings. Otherwise, it could never fly. Offer its Using improperly can be extremely damaging. This is also a spring many comic movies Pierre Richard ... It creates more problems than it solves.
There is what Chögyam Trungpa called idiot compassion. By developing compassion, we must not neglect wisdom. We must begin by taking care of yourself and try not to be a burden to others. Taking care of oneself, one has to others, and can even become a good example of what a constructive and happy life.
This, again, balance. Some people are selfish to the point of injury others. Others are so generous they are hurting themselves.
Researchers in positive psychology (A psychology that focuses on optimal mental health rather than mental illness) found that positive emotions such as compassion, arouse a mind expansion, generate creativity and can think more in terms of us in terms of myself. But also try to force these positive emotions can lead to a form of "toxic insincerity." Those who have seen it at work know what we mean.
I know a girl who wants to help others so that begins in m. .. to help others. And she asks for help without thinking if it does not disturb. This is a very effective recipe for disaster!
This hand grows into the night to catch the pillow and put it back is the true form of compassion, a real action when it is needed. If we do not think before we are shifted. If you think about it afterwards, is shifted. We can not think about it for, because the moment of action is not the time for reflection.
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