Compassion, the quickest way to full enlightenment.

The Destroyer Qualified Gone Beyond One (Bhagawan) said, 

“The bodhisattva does not follow many Dharmas. The bodhisattva holds one Dharma well and realizes it well. The whole Buddhadharma will be in the hand of that person.” 

What differentiates Buddhism from other religions is COMPASSION for every single sentient being. What really pleases all the buddhas and bodhisattvas is COMPASSION. COMPASSION is what makes all sentient beings happy. 

STRONG COMPASSION is the foundation that causes you to achieve full enlightenment most quickly. If you want to achieve full enlightenment in order to liberate all sentient beings from suffering and bring them to full enlightenment, the quickest way is to generate strong COMPASSION.

Chandrakirti said,

“At the beginning, COMPASSION is like a seed; in the middle, it is like water; at the end, it is like a ripened fruit. Achieving the result of full enlightenment is all due to COMPASSION.”

Even for non-believers the best thing and only way to create merit (good karma) is COMPASSION, as well as making offerings and prostrations to holy objects and circumambulating them, even by chance. What gives all beings a happy, satisfied, meaningful and successful life is COMPASSION.

From the Sutra Request by Lodro Gyatso:

“The thought of complete enlightenment, preserving Dharma, practicing Dharma and having love and compassion for living beings: these four dharmas have infinite qualities—the limit of their benefits is not seen by the Victorious Ones. It is said that preserving Dharma and protecting the lives of living beings has limitless benefits.”

This shows that if we have COMPASSION for sentient beings, from those we can’t see with the naked eye but only under a microscope up to creatures the size of a mountain, then the Buddha has never explained the limits of the benefits of the compassion we generate for them. It’s the same as saving the lives of human beings, animals and insects; we must understand that it has limitless benefits.

A Kadampa geshe said,

“Holy beings of the land of Dzambu (this world) respond to harm with good actions.” 

When ordinary people are harmed they retaliate with harm. Holy beings repay harm with positive actions. Whoever sees the enemy as the virtuous friend is happy wherever that person is. 

The great Indian scholar bodhisattva Shantideva said in the first chapter of his Bodhicaryavatara:

“I bow down to the body of him in whom the sacred precious mind is born. I seek refuge in that source of joy, who brings to happiness even those who harm him.”

The extensive benefits of bodhicitta, which are like the sky and the depthless ocean, are also the benefits of generating great COMPASSION for all sentient beings. Without great COMPASSION there is no way achieve bodhicitta, which has limitless benefits.

The conclusion is that COMPASSION is the most important practice in life.

~ Lama Zopa Rinpoche - COMPASSION IS OF THE UTMOST NEED