Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
7 November 2017
True Compassion
“Elixir”
Compassion can be either true or false. Compassion cannot be partially true, because anything can only be either true or false. To the conditioned mind both true and false can be partially true or false. To wisdom even a part is total and partial existence is not possible.
Compassion is either true or false. False compassion does not transform anger; it subdues anger temporarily and the mind is not at peace. When deep understanding of anger is understood anger transforms into true compassion.
True compassion is an elixir in life for the mind. The elixir helps the one who expresses compassion to help the other. The elixir keeps the mind calm, open and peaceful.
False compassion deceives the mind, because anger is present towards the cause of unwanted consequence. True compassion is constant and is always present and anger is absent towards the cause of the unwanted consequence.
Compassion is expressed to the other who is known for whom unwanted consequences in daily life have happened. False compassion towards unwanted consequences is superficial because it fades away after anger is expressed.
True compassion is felt for anyone who is either known or unknown and anger is never expressed towards the cause of the unwanted consequences. Therefore, it is important to understand deeply unwanted consequences.
Consequence is believed to be the effect of a cause. The cause may be due to events done by humans or that which are due to an unfortunate, natural happening in daily life.
False compassion is when events are not what they are expected to be. This implies that events as knowledge are conditional and not unconditional. True compassion as wisdom understands that events are what they are and cannot be expected to be in any other way than they are. False compassion is expressed as a social etiquette.
False compassion is expressed to the other with regards to what to do and what not to do, what to speak and what not to speak, what to think and what not to think and how to behave and how not to behave. False compassion is expressed as a social etiquette.
True compassion never gives advice because wisdom understands that doing, speaking and thinking evolve to happen and cannot be other than what they are in every moment.
When understanding happens that everyone is who they are and doing and speaking happen to them and they do not make them happen, anger transforms as true compassion, which is an elixir for the mind.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2017
Editor’s Note:
The intelligence of life provides words for man to communicate with man and occasionally with certain living creatures. The gift of speech is, of course, also provided. What is communicated may be knowledge of what is known, or it may be deep understanding that can never be known. The content of the former is frequently in the form of advice, information, correction or command. The content of the latter is wisdom, of what is unknowable. There is never advice, information, correction or command. Such is the nature of this article. Such is transformation.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator’s Note:
In order to accept ourselves as we are in every moment, it is necessary to accept the other in every moment as he or she is. And vice versa: In order to accept the other as he or she is in every moment, it is necessary to accept ourselves in every moment as we are. This acceptance is compassion and true compassion, as Dr. Shankar explains clearly here, is not done intentionally by will and choice of any man or woman or any living being but the natural outcome of the understanding that nobody is a doer, speaker or thinker. Doing, speaking and thinking happen to the other as well! So let us be compassionately. This wise understanding is the path to true compassion and to enlightenment. Or better: True compassion is enlightenment.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.