Explore Buddhist teachings on boundless compassion,

BUDDHISM FOR BEGINNERS – Q&A: QUESTION 66 – 70

Question 66: CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE MEANING OF COMPASSION IN BUDDHISM?

Answer: Society exists because people love and care for one another. Through love and compassion, people develop a sense of responsibility for one another, and this care helps to alleviate suffering in the world.

However, there's a paradox: because human love is often limited, we tend to favor those we love, forming exclusive groups that can easily lead to conflict with others in the community. Love is meant to eliminate hatred, but narrow-minded love can actually lead to division and enmity.

The Buddha taught about boundless compassion as a quality of an Enlightened Being. An Enlightened and Liberated One, who has transcended the ego, must possess a limitless love that extends to all beings, covering all places and reaching all forms of existence. For those who have not yet attained enlightenment, it is critical to practice directing their love towards all beings in this way. Each day, we should consciously cultivate love for all sentient beings and humbly pray for the Buddha's blessings to help extend this compassion to all beings. Over time, we will naturally find it easier to love others more deeply.

For lay practitioners, it may be challenging to extend compassion universally due to the heavy responsibilities of family life. The obligations of marriage, parenthood, legal duties, and the pressures of daily life create significant burdens. On the other hand, monastics may find it easier to practice and cultivate compassion.

Actually, love and compassion are luxuries that are not easy to achieve. We don’t easily feel love for others unless they have done something significant for us. However, following the Buddha's teachings, we must strive to love all beings unconditionally. But it is not easy to cultivate compassion on our own, so we must pray to the Buddha earnestly to develop the compassion within us. Once we have compassion in our hearts, we will find it easier to practice meditation and achieve the state of mindfulness.

Question 67: HOW SHOULD A BUDDHIST BE CONSCIOUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION?

Answer: In the past, the world did not yet raise the issue of environmental protection. However, thanks to scientific advancements, humanity has come to realize that survival on Earth depends on many crucial factors such as clean air, clean water, clean food, biodiversity, vast forests, and more. Unfortunately, these elements are being gradually destroyed by human activities, putting our living environment in a dangerous state. Today, due to the warnings of scientists, governments around the world have incorporated global ecological protection into their national and international policies.

In Buddhism, the awareness of preserving life has existed for a very long time. Buddhist monks are required to be careful not to harm trees; if they need to use any part of a tree, they must obtain proper permission. When drinking water, monks must filter out microorganisms (the Buddha recognized the existence of microorganisms more than 2,600 years ago). Additionally, all Buddhist disciples are taught to abstain from killing living beings.

Particularly, when we cultivate boundless compassion, we can extend our love to all beings, even down to individual leaves.

With an utmost sense of altruism, a love for all living beings, and the highest level of responsibility, a Buddhist disciple always strives to protect the environment for all beings. We always actively participate in efforts to clean and preserve the environment, making this planet a beautiful place where we can all live joyfully together.

Question 68: TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS, PEOPLE MUST PUT IN A LOT OF EFFORT, AND THAT DETERMINATION IS ALSO A SIGN OF INNER STRENGTH. MANY EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONAL STRENGTH. DOES THIS CONTRADICT THE BUDDHIST CONCEPT OF SELFLESSNESS AND ALTRUISM?

Answer: Truth is never one-dimensional; it is always comprehensive.
According to Buddhism, to achieve success, one needs the merit accumulated in the past and the efforts in the present. Additionally, the support of Divine Beings may also play a role.

In the past, to accumulate merit, a person must have already put in a great deal of efforts. So, the current required efforts to achieve success are essentially a repetition of those past efforts. We may notice that the required efforts of a person with past merit differ significantly from the efforts of someone without such merit.

A person who accumulated merit in the past now makes efforts with confidence, ease, and a strong intuition of success. On the other hand, a person lacking past merit makes efforts amidst confusion, uncertainty, fear, and is driven by tormenting greed. If we could see into the mind clearly, we would recognize the vast difference between these two types of efforts.
Efforts stemming from past merit do not cause stress; therefore, it does not inflate the ego. In contrast, the efforts of those lacking merit lead to tension; the more one struggles in confusion and anxiety, the more one's ego grows.

We should start with a life of altruism, striving to help others. Later, when the rewards of merit come, our efforts will be filled with confidence and ease, without the tension that leads to ego growth.

Question 69: WHAT IS BUDDHISM'S PERSPECTIVE ON WHETHER CHILDREN SHOULD OBEY THEIR PARENTS OR TRY TO BE STRONG AND INDEPENDENT?

Answer: When parents bring a child into the world, they naturally love and care for the child with great dedication. Since the child is still young and naive, parents feel a strong sense of ownership over their child. This sense of ownership motivates parents to take on the responsibility of caring for their children and ensuring they grow up safely. However, as the child grows, the situation gradually changes.

Although the child's genes come from its parents, and its life is sustained by its parents' care, the child’s mind and soul are entirely their own.

As the child matures, it begins to look outward, gradually becoming less dependent on its parents’ wishes, while parents may still continue to view the child as theirs and expect it to follow their will.

At this point, two educational approaches emerge. Some people advocates for allowing children to develop independence and self-expression so that they can quickly mature. Others insist that children must always obey and be respectful to their parents.

The approach that encourages children to develop independence is more common in Western cultures, where it is seen as aligning with values of democratic values, freedom, and human rights. On the other hand, the approach that emphasizes obedience and filial piety to parents is more common in Eastern cultures, where it is believed that parents’ sacrifices are immense, like the sky and sea; thus, children must be grateful and dutiful to repay their parents.

From the perspective of selflessness and the Law of Karma, Buddhism suggests a balanced approach. First and foremost, children should honor and respect their parents as a fundamental moral principle. At the same time, parents should wisely balance protecting their children with encouraging their growth and maturity, guiding them to become responsible and capable individuals who can contribute to society.

While this book does not delve deeply into child-rearing practices, it is critical that children are taught not to be stubborn or disrespectful to their parents and that parents wisely guide and nurture their children in a way that benefits them, the family, and society as a whole.

Question 70: IN BUDDHISM, COMPASSION ENCOMPASSES ALL BEINGS, EVEN PLANTS. HOWEVER, IN REALITY, THERE ARE VARIOUS LEVELS OF COMPASSION WE SHOULD PRACTICE, RANGING FROM SMALL TO LARGE. COULD YOU EXPLAIN THIS IN MORE DETAIL?

Answer: We have various levels of love that expand gradually:

• Loving only oneself
• Loving only one's immediate family
• Loving extended family and friends
• Loving colleagues and comrades
• Loving the surrounding community
• Loving one’s country
• Loving humanity
• Loving all sentient beings

Looking at this ladder of love, we can see that someone who loves only themselves is extremely selfish and will likely lack a sense of responsibility toward their family, community, and society. It is right to cultivate oneself, but this self-cultivation should be aimed at developing the ability to contribute to the world, not at selfishly loving oneself.

Loving one’s immediate family is considered a basic moral and legal obligation. Someone who cannot love their own family is severely lacking in basic morality.

As the scope of love widens, it reflects an increase in moral development and is highly commendable, as it shows a growing ability to care for others beyond one's immediate circle.

Written by:
Janna

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