On Compassion

When an individual thinks only of himself, when a nation thinks only of its own citizens, when a religion thinks only of its own followers, then the good it does becomes very small, and the harm it causes to the world becomes immense.

Any decision that is not rooted in concern for the whole world, the whole society, the entire human family, inevitably turns narrow. It is essential that decisions arise from a vision that includes the welfare of all humanity, not just one fragment of it.

Two friends were returning from a forest when, on the way, they reached the outskirts of a city. Suddenly, a lion began chasing them. One friend was a scientist, the other a businessman. The scientist quickly began calculating in his mind—how fast they needed to run to get out of the forest and escape the lion. He shared his calculation with his friend, explaining the exact speed required to survive.

Hearing this, the other friend replied calmly, “I am not trying to outrun the lion. I am only trying to outrun you.”

This is the selfish lens through which man often looks at life. When a person thinks only of himself, his decisions and his thinking take this shape. Until a person has himself tasted pain and suffering, he rarely understands the sensitivity of others. Very few people are capable of feeling another’s pain deeply enough to seek a universal solution to it.

A cowherd once lost his calf. In distress, he prayed to God, “If my calf is found, I will offer you a goat.” Searching deeper into the forest, he suddenly saw his calf in the mouth of a lion. The moment he saw this, his body trembled with fear. Immediately he prayed again, “O God, if I am spared, I will offer you a cow.”

Only one who can truly feel the pain, suffering, and vulnerability of another can think of something greater. Otherwise, man merely exploits the weaknesses and sufferings of others to fulfill his own interests—to gain advantage, to succeed, or even to entertain himself.

Some children were throwing stones into a pond, killing frogs for fun. One frog cried out to them in pain, “For you, this is entertainment. But for us, it is a sentence of death—because we are weak.”

This is the tragedy: what becomes amusement for the powerful turns into annihilation for the powerless.

Without compassion, intelligence becomes cruelty; without sensitivity, strength becomes violence.