QUESTION: I often hear Buddhists talk about wisdom and
compassion. What do these two terms mean?
ANSWER:
Some religions believe that compassion or love
(the two are very similar) is the most important spiritual
quality but they fail to develop any wisdom. The result is
that you end up being a good-hearted fool, a very kind person
but with little or no understanding. Other systems of thought,
like science, believe that wisdom can best be developed when
all emotions, including compassion, are kept out of the way.
The outcome of this is that science has tended to become
preoccupied with results and has forgotten that science is to
serve man, not to control and dominate him. How, otherwise
could scientists have lent their skills to develop the nuclear
bomb, germ warfare, and the like. Religion has always seen
reason and wisdom as the enemy of emotions like love and
faith. Science has always seen emotions like love and faith
as being enemies of reason and objectivity. And of course,
as science progresses, religion declines. Buddhism, on the
other hand, teaches that to be a truly balanced and complete
individual, you must develop both wisdom and compassion.
And because it is not dogmatic but based on experience,
Buddhism has nothing to fear from science.
QUESTION: So, according to Buddhism, what is wisdom?
ANSWER:
The highest wisdom is seeing that in reality all
phenomena are incomplete, impermanent, and not self. This
understanding is totally freeing and leads to the great security
and happiness which is called Nirvana. However, the Buddha
doesn't speak too much about this level of wisdom. It is not
wisdom if we simply believe what we are told. True wisdom
is to directly see and understand for ourselves. At this level
then, wisdom is to keep an open mind rather than being
closed-minded, listening to other points of view rather than
being bigoted; to carefully examine facts that contradict our
beliefs, rather than burying our heads in the sand; to be
objective rather than prejudiced and partisan; to take time
about forming our opinions and beliefs rather than just
accepting the first or most emotional thing that is offered
to us; and to always be ready to change our beliefs when
facts that contradict them are presented to us. A person who
does this is certainly wise and is certain to eventually arrive
at true understanding. The path of just believing what you
are told is easy. The Buddhist path requires courage, patience,
flexibility and intelligence.
QUESTION: I think few people could do this. So what is
the point of Buddhism if only a few can practise it?
ANSWER:
It is true that not everyone is ready for Buddhism
yet. But to say therefore that we should teach a religion that
is false but easily understandable just so that everyone can
practise it is ridiculous. Buddhism aims at the truth and if
not everyone has the capacity to understand it yet, they
perhaps will be ready for it in their next life. However, there
are many who, with just the right words or encouragement,
are able to increase their understanding. And it is for this
reason that Buddhists gently and quietly strive to share the
insights of Buddhism with others. The Buddha taught us out
of compassion and we teach others out of compassion.
QUESTION: So we arrive at compassion. What, according
to Buddhism, is compassion?
ANSWER:
Just as wisdom covers the intellectual or
comprehending side of our nature, compassion covers the
emotional or feeling side of our nature. Like wisdom,
compassion is a uniquely human quality. Compassion is
made up of two words, co meaning together and
passion
meaning a strong feeling. And this is what compassion is.
When we see someone in distress and we feel their pain as
if it were our own, and strive to eliminate or lessen their pain,
then this is compassion. So all the best in human beings, all
the Buddha-like qualities like sharing, readiness to give
comfort, sympathy, concern and caring - all are manifestations
of compassion. You will notice also that in the compassionate
person, care and love towards others has its origins in care
and love for oneself. We can really understand others when
we really understand ourselves. We will know what's best
for others when we know what's best for ourselves. We can
feel for others when we feel for ourselves. So in Buddhism,
one's own spiritual development blossoms quite naturally
into concern for the welfare of others. The Buddha's life
illustrates this very well. He spent six years struggling for
his own welfare, after which, he was able to be of benefit
to the whole of mankind.
QUESTION: So you are saying that we are best able to help
others after we have helped ourselves. Isn't that a bit
selfish?
ANSWER:
We usually see altruism, concern for others before
oneself, as being the opposite of selfishness, concern for
oneself before others. Buddhism does not see it as either one
or the other but rather as a blending of the two. Genuine
self-concern will gradually mature into concern for others as one
sees that others are really the same as oneself. This is genuine
compassion. Compassion is the most beautiful jewel in the
crown of the Buddha's teaching.