Venerable Thubten Dondrub explains the Buddhist view of the highest form of compassion in action possible.

"Most people think that real compassion is when you get out on the street, really knuckle down to it and do all sorts of physical things to help those undergoing all the terrible obvious sufferings of poverty, sickness, hunger, homelessness, etc. Of course, people doing these things are being compassionate but there's more to it than that, much more.

"We know that every living being wants to experience unending happiness and be free of all suffering, but suffering in a Buddhist context has a very great and profound definition. It includes more than the obvious sufferings that we normally think of. From a Buddhist perspective one can try as much as one can to stop all this obvious suffering, but at most you can only modify these things and offer some temporary relief because while minds are still confused, suffering is only going to continue.

"Buddhism tries to have a broader perspective - to encourage us to develop a mind that is working to alleviate all suffering. Not just the obvious suffering of this life, as there is the suffering of future lives and much more subtle sufferings to consider. Buddhism encourages us to develop the full potential of our compassion, to feel compassion for every living being without exception and this must be done in conjunction with developing our wisdom as well.

"So, what is compassion? It is defined simply as a thought that wishes ones own suffering and the suffering of others to stop. And in order to develop genuine compassion for others and to have a valid basis for practising real compassion for others, we must first be able to feel our own suffering and develop a mind that wants to be free of our own suffering. You can't do it the other way around. The first thing is to admit that we are suffering, are dissatisfied, incomplete and not perfectly happy. Most worldly life and the vast majority of all beings at all times in all cultures try to deny that fact. To deny suffering is to deny reality and to deny reality can only cause more suffering.

"We need to look beyond the obvious sufferings, to the much more subtle levels, or else our compassion can only grow to that extent, extended only towards those who are obviously suffering, and not to the vast mass of other living beings, who are all suffering some kind of dissatisfaction within.

"There's the obvious sufferings and there's the suffering of change - what we ordinary people call happiness. However, it is not real happiness because it simply doesn't last. All this worldly happiness, dependent on external things is at best an illusion of happiness as sooner or later, it fizzles out. Any happiness we have in this life comes to an end and this situation is unsatisfying. To work so hard in countless ways to have happiness that just fizzles out. We don't want that. This type of happiness is really suffering and everyone experiences this. When we see 'happy' people they are also objects of compassion because their happiness is not real and it will turn into suffering sooner or later. Those who are rich, beautiful, intelligent, or in good health suffer as they cling to these things, are attached to them, develop anxiety, jealousy and pride about them. If one checks up on the delusions, they are all suffering. They are painful every moment they are operating.

"Then there is the most subtle level of suffering, that all living beings have all the time, called compounded pervasive suffering, which refers to the fact that just because we have this body and mind produced by delusions and karma, there's always the potential for suffering to manifest at any moment. This is reality. This is the truth of our situation and if we can recognise that and allow ourselves to really feel that then we can really begin to develop compassion for ourselves and others. The more we can see our own suffering then the more we can see it in others. To deny that, to reject that and distract ourselves, running after good and wonderful times is being totally uncompassionate for ourselves. Working so hard to get lots of money for immediate pleasure or security won't protect us or bring about what we deeply need and want.

"But looking after our mind and developing it does. Feeling one's own suffering and doing something meaningful about it, really working with one's mind - that is where compassion begins. The Buddhist idea is that the highest form of compassion is not only to go around doing external things to stop the suffering of others, but to work with our minds, to practice dharma to achieve not just Liberation, but complete Enlightenment. So that one has the qualities of great compassion and wisdom and skilful means and so on, to be able to guide others not just out of temporary suffering, but to guide them out of the causes of suffering and beyond the causes of suffering

"That is the highest compassion in action possible. Most of us are not capable of that right now, but that can be our goal, not just to be content with modifying the suffering of others, but in the process of doing that having a goal. And we can really work towards this goal to be able to benefit others in the most profound way possible, because we all have the potential to do that. And the more we work towards this goal, the more we can be directly and effectively compassionate for others right now.

"So, as well as developing our compassion we need to develop our wisdom, because without this our compassion can go wrong and we may cause ourselves and others more suffering. So, developing compassion is also about being wise, having a clear mind and an intelligent approach to things. In order to be able to really help others, we have to work on our own mind first. Just going out into the world, trying to do whatever one can with this compassionate wish tends to go wrong sooner or later, because we get burnt out. The trouble is that what gets in the way is our own self-cherishing - all our delusions that come together in this great thick tangle - this is our self-cherishing. If we don't work on that, our compassion can't develop, because we go out, trying to be kind etc., and as self-cherishing is still there, if we push ourselves too much then that self-cherishing will eventually react.

"In order to be completely compassionate to others, we have to work on ourselves first, see our own suffering and recognise that our self-cherishing is suffering, have compassion for the fact that we are controlled by self-cherishing and try to get rid of that. The more one does that the more one is being really compassionate to oneself and freeing one's innate compassion towards others.

"And we have to do this step by step, not thinking that "Wow, I've met the Dharma, it has these wonderful Bodhicitta and compassion teachings and therefore I'm going to be a Bodhisattva next week and stop all the suffering of the world." This is not possible. We have to do it gradually. We have to develop a practice where we work on our own minds, really put some effort into contemplation and meditation and also begin to give to others, to practice kindness and generosity to benefit others. Combining these two things.

- transcribed and edited by Marika Lontis

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