Compassion towards mental illness sufferer doesn't mean one should be empowering their mental illness

Mental illness might begin with some very mild symptoms, where it's something noticeable, however, most mind might not be aware of them, or might not recognize that as the beginning stage of mental illness, as these symptoms seemed to be something 'common' and nothing 'bad' or 'wrong' to many minds that are thinking, behaving, acting and reacting in the way that is under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness. And if without paying attention to be acknowledging that beginning stage of mental illness, as well as continuously empowering the mental illness out of the ignorance and egoism from oneself and others, it will eventually grow into a more serious and intense level of mental illness, and if there's still no awareness towards helping oneself to come out from such mental illness, it would come to a stage that it's too late to be doing something about it.

None should be discriminating towards other people or themselves who are being diagnosed with certain type and degrees of mental illness, not to say, there are many minds are not even aware of themselves are suffering from certain type and degrees of mental illness, but we should be compassionate towards the minds that are suffering from certain type and degrees of mental illness, however, being compassionate towards mental illness sufferer doesn't mean that people should be empowering their mental illness.

When the mind starts to think, behave, act and react in the way that hurt oneself and others, either wittingly or unwittingly, losing the clarity of thinking, reasoning power, self-awareness and self-control, affecting the relationship with some others and the surrounding environment, out of the disturbed suffering states of mind under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, being over-powered or over-whelmed by the desires of craving and aversion, sensitivity, annoyance, irritation, frustration, disturbance, disagreement, dissatisfaction, greed, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, envy, resentment, pride a.k.a. low self-esteem, superiority and inferiority, fear, worry, stress, hostility, animosity, victimized, hurt, grief, sadness, unhappiness, physical/mental/emotional pain and discomfort, self-protectiveness, possessiveness, defensiveness and offensiveness, that are the symptoms of a mind that is unwell.

How people commonly deal with those who are suffering from certain type and degrees of mental illness, out of sympathy that is under the influence of ignorance and egoism, is by not mentioning anything about 'mental illness', or 'what the minds want to deny or runaway from, or don't want to confront with, that would be upsetting or offending the minds', not to say, 'seeking help to come out from mental illness' that most probably will trigger the minds react in the way of, "No! No! No! this is upsetting me. I don't want to hear or talk about it! This is hurting me. I don't like this. I don't want you to talk about this. You are hurting me! Why do you want to hurt me? Why are you attacking me? You are making up all these things. You are the one that is mentally ill. I am fine. I have no problem." Especially if the mind is being over-powered by pride and arrogance and defensiveness, it feels that it is being attacked or humiliated by such 'accusation'.

And that kind of 'sympathetic' way of trying to console the mentally ill minds and not wanting to be upsetting or offending the minds that are trying to runaway from certain unpleasant and disagreeable reality that they don't like and don't desire, that are painful or hurting to them, that they don't know how to understand and be able to let go, and that they don't want to confront with, by not mentioning 'mental illness', or 'seeking help', or 'maybe do something about it', as well as the practice of untruthfulness and hypocrisy while interacting with the minds that are suffering from mental illness for many years, doesn't help these minds to come out from such suffering.

Meanwhile in certain cases, people would tell these minds, "Hey! There's nothing wrong with you. You are not ill. You are fine. Look! You are all good and nothing wrong. You were hurt by those who are bad and wrong. You don't deserve all that. All those bad people who had hurt you deserve to be in painful suffering, not you. You deserve sympathy and empathy, love, accommodation and support as much as possible from all and everyone."

Out of 'such loving kindness' towards these minds, people will even try to justify, ignore, deny, or even cover up certain damaging behaviors of these minds that hurt themselves and others under the influence of such unattended and empowered mental illness. Especially, after random hurtful behavior, action and reaction out of the disturbed suffering states of mind, certain minds that still have some awareness towards their behaviors, actions and reactions are being hurtful, and they would be apologetic, and be 'loving' afterwards, for a while, but that also doesn't help them to come out from the suffering of mental illness, and they would be continuously behaving, acting and reacting in such hurtful, disturbing and damaging way from time to time, out of the existing, or suppressed, or empowered mental illness, that was being unattended, denied and empowered by oneself and those around them who would always justify and cover up such damaging hurtful behaviors, actions and reactions out of what they think and believe as 'love' and 'understanding'. It's not.

Many people are suffering from certain mental illness because they were being abused or hurt by those who are suffering from mental illness, and then, they also starting to be abusing or hurting others, or their relationships with everyone, either wittingly or unwittingly, under the influence of mental illness, or the disturbed suffering states of mind. Such 'console' out of 'sympathy and empathy' as well as 'untruthfulness, justification, cover up, denial and hypocrisy' under the influence of ignorance and egoism doesn't help the suffering minds to come out from the suffering of mental illness, but empowering the mental illness to the deepest.

Compassion towards the mental illness sufferer, is about allowing them to have the opportunity to see what is going on in their minds, without judgment, aversion or fear, to be aware of and acknowledging the presence of mental illness or the disturbed suffering states of mind, without attachment, identification, judgment or association, even if in the beginning, the minds would be upset or offended by the inevitable process of seeing and acknowledging the existing 'illness', or 'disturbs', or 'pain', that nobody would like to have.

Even if they might not want to confront with such unpleasant or painful process of acknowledging the reality of, "Yes, I am not well. My mind is not well. It's very upsetting and painful to deal with all these. But, it's okay. I just need to help myself to come out from such suffering. Because nobody can help me if I don't help myself," but at least, through such honesty, there's hope or opportunity for them to be opened to see what is going on in their mind, or not, and then to decide whether they want to continuing to be in such disturbed suffering states of mind, and continuously hurting oneself and others under the disturbed suffering states of mind, or, they want to help themselves to be free from all that, to stop hurting themselves and others either wittingly or unwittingly, out of such mental illness or disturbed suffering states of mind, by looking into what is going on in the mind, without fear or aversion, without judgment or identification, to know and understand what is the root cause of such disturbed suffering states of mind.

Only by knowing and understanding the root cause of the disturbed suffering states of mind, will enable the mind to be letting go what the mind thinks and believes as hurtful and painful and undeserving, effectively. Then the mind will not be determined or disturbed ever again even the past unpleasant and undesirable memories are still there, and there's no pain, fear or aversion towards mentioning or talking about those unpleasant and disagreeable experiences. That is truly coming out from the suffering of mental illness or the disturbed suffering states of mind. Not by ignoring, or denying, or pushing away, or sweeping under the carpet towards all kinds of past hurtful, painful, unpleasant, disagreeable and undesirable experiences and memories. Not by blaming oneself or others for what had happened. That doesn't need to involve the action of forgiveness towards or the presence of apology from those who are suffering from mental illness, and hence, behaving in the way that contribute to mental illness or the disturbed suffering states of mind in others. But just by understand. That is liberation.

"I was hurt. That's why I am hurting all and everyone now, either wittingly or unwittingly. I am hurting all and everyone is because I am mentally ill. I am mentally ill because I was hurt by those who are mentally ill." That is mental illness that goes on in a loop. This loop can be stopped, if there's a will to understand, and be free.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Can't help those who don't want to help themselves

Can't help those who don't want to help themselves or don't know how to help themselves, not even one's partner and family.

No matter how much love, adjustment, and tolerance, or compassionate loving kindness actions being shown upon the suffering minds that have no awareness towards the root cause of their suffering, but only blaming all and everything to be the cause of its painful suffering or disturbed state of mind, that don't have any initiation to help themselves to come out from suffering, but merely expecting and longing to be receiving sympathy and empathy, attention, acknowledgement, appreciation, agreement, praise and compliment from all and everyone in the way that it thinks and expects how it should be, to feel better, thinking and believing that, "I was, and I am the victim of other people's bad and hurtful behaviors that I didn't and don't deserve, and I deserve sympathy and empathy from all and everyone," these minds would still think and believe that somebody is doing everything that meant to be hurting them, or attacking them, or criticizing them, deliberately and intentionally. 

When people offer to share some delicious food with such minds, they react strongly, "Why do you force feed me? You want me to be fat, is it?"

And when people don't offer to share some delicious food with them, they react strongly, "Why are you so selfish?"

Then people don't want to say much that would upset such minds, they react strongly, "Why you don't care for me?"

That's the power of mental illness where it's too late to do anything for such mind, as the mind has lost the very basic ability or will to help itself to be free from suffering.

It's okay, if the mind doesn't know how to help or love itself, but at least, there is the will of wanting to learn about how to help or love itself, then only it can start to see 'the teachers' and 'the teachings and practices' that are already there, that are always there, that enables the mind to learn how to help and love itself, and transform itself under its own initiation and effort to be inquiring and understanding towards what is going on in itself, of everything that the mind thinks it is experiencing or perceiving.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Compassion is free from exploitation of sympathy and empathy

People might be aware of there are many kinds of exploitation existing in the world, but not everyone are aware of the existence of the exploitation of sympathy and empathy. Even when people hear that, people would be offended and deny such saying, thinking that the world need more sympathy and empathy. That's their freedom of thinking.

The world do need more compassion that is nothing to do with sympathy and empathy.

In the world of capitalism and consumerism, except for the tiny fraction of the super rich community who would just spend on anything for nothing just because they can, the majority of the low income people would need to be calculative and careful on spending where the cost of living will only get higher and higher. Many people who have low or very low income want to spend as little as possible on the things/products/labour/work/services/resources and etc that they want to get, other than getting the essential things for survival, as that is what they can afford with their underpaid income barely enough for short term survival. There are also some people who manage to make reasonable higher income but they want to spend as little as possible on certain things that they want but are less priority to them, so that they can spend more on some other things that are more priority to them, and they have some 'spending power' to buy things/property with the money that they don't really have but 'borrowed' from bank loan or credit, and hence, this 'normal' human spending behavior is indeed fueling/empowering the loop of exploitation. 

Out of desperation for survival and struggling to make a living, as well as there might be many desires/ambitions waiting to be fulfilled/gratified, everyone is being exploited while working for underpaid income whether wittingly or unwittingly, and everyone is also exploiting others when spending their underpaid income coming from being exploited, while some people exploiting others when spending their sufficient income in order to use 'the saved money from exploiting others' on some other priorities.

"I know you are desperate for income. I can help you by offering you a job. But I only want to pay you this little in return for your labour and service. If you don't want, many other people will want it."

"Oh! I'll take it. A little of income is better than no income at all. I will be grateful for this job. Thank you very much."

This is the beginning of exploitation and how exploitation is being empowered and supported, but out of desperation for getting income for survival or to fulfill their desire for something, many people would think and believe that is what gratefulness and thankfulness is about, and unwittingly supporting and encouraging exploitation to be happening.

Those who are free from ignorance, egoism and desires, who can withstand the worst condition, they do not 'support' or 'encourage' such exploitation to be happening under any circumstances.

In the beginning of the exploitation of underpaid work, labour and service, many people are unwittingly allowing themselves being exploited out of desperation for survival and making a living for themselves or to provide financial support for their family, and after some time, people started to get use to it, and don't see it as an exploitation anymore, but, they would think and believe that's the normal payment they should be getting in return for their commitment, time, energy, effort, attention, knowledge and skill that they put into those work, labour or service, and set it as a 'payment guideline' for doing some other work/labour/service, and would accept even lower payment for doing something that they think is requiring less commitment, time, effort, energy, attention, knowledge and skill by comparing with those work that they have been doing which is underpaid due to the exploitation in the very beginning.

Most people, especially those who are living under certain challenging condition and going through certain difficulty in life, would not like to be exploited of any kind, and some might even actively participating in protest and activism to go against exploitation of any kind in the world, and yet, whether wittingly or unwittingly, people are constantly exploiting each other.

One of the common exploitation that people aren't aware of, is the exploitation of sympathy and empathy, or taking advantage of other people's sympathy and empathy to achieve something that they want. Whether people are aware or unaware, they themselves are exploiting other people's sympathy and empathy, or their sympathy and empathy are being exploited by others.

Many people who would like to think and believe that they are compassionate beings and they want to be compassionate towards other people's suffering and difficulty, would misinterpret egoistic sympathy and empathy as compassion, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, they themselves are constantly 'encouraging' and 'supporting' the exploitation of sympathy and empathy to be happening/existing, which is not what compassion is about, but it's merely part of the by-products of ignorance.

Egoistic sympathy and empathy could easily be exploited, while compassion is void of exploitation of any kind.

For example, many people are being conditioned to think and believe that anyone who have been or is going through 'certain difficult condition, situation or experience', should be naturally 'deserved' to be receiving sympathy and empathy from other people. Whether it's oneself who has been or is going through certain challenging difficulty, and one believes oneself 'deserves' to be receiving sympathy and empathy from others, or it's other people who have been or are going through some challenging difficulty, and one expects oneself and some others should be showing sympathy and empathy towards those people who 'deserve' to be receiving sympathy and empathy from others. There's nothing wrong with that, as that is what most people think and believe that's how everyone should think and believe, act and react, or behave. Or else, it's so wrong, so terrible, so selfish, so harsh, and 'lack of compassion', if people don't think and believe, act and react, or behave like that.

For the minds that are free from ignorance, that isn't just not what compassion is about, but it's actually empowering ignorance and egoism. Being compassionate is free from such thinking, belief, actions and reactions that empower ignorance and egoism.

Those who practice yoga or Buddhism, who are truly wise and compassionate, who are aware of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, would be free from exploiting other people's sympathy and empathy under any circumstances, as well as do not get involve with any actions or affairs that are directly or indirectly encouraging and supporting such exploitation, whether it's exploitation from others towards oneself, or from some others towards other people.

Compassion is nothing to do with the idea of who and what 'deserve' or 'doesn't deserve' sympathy and empathy.

One can be unconditionally kind towards others in different ways within one's ability and capacity without the idea of 'this (being or happening) deserves kindness' or 'this (being or happening) deserves special reaction/treatment differently than some others'.

One allows others whether to show or don't show sympathy and empathy towards oneself and/or others, without the idea/intention/expectation of 'I and/or others deserve sympathy and empathy from other people'.

One can receive (or reject) certain voluntary help/assistance from others without expecting 'deserving' help/assistance under any circumstances.

It's common that some people like to use the excuse of "I have a difficult life", "I am going through many hardships", "I am a single parent", or "I have to look after my old and sick parent(s)" and so on to receive sympathy and empathy from others with the intention/expectation to get certain 'special compassionate reaction/treatment', or to get something that they want but they can't afford, or to achieve something that they want to achieve but they don't have enough ability/capacity to achieve.

The minds that are free from ignorance, egoism and desires of craving and aversion don't have the idea/intention/expectation of "I and my difficult condition deserve to receive sympathy and empathy, and getting certain 'special compassionate reaction/treatment" from others, even under great difficulty. If they really need to get help, they would try to get it, but it's free from the idea of "I and my difficult condition deserve sympathy/empathy and help". They don't have the desire to get 'something that they want but they can't afford' under any circumstances, or to achieve something that they don't have the ability/capacity to achieve, while allowing others to be sympathetic/empathetic, or not, to show kindness and provide help out of their own freewill, or not.

Exploitation of sympathy and empathy exists when people starting to use what they think and believe as less fortunate/underprivileged condition or challenging difficult situation to gain sympathy and empathy from others, in order to gratify their desires of craving and aversion, to help them to make changes for better in life, to get out of the difficult condition that they don't like, or to do/achieve something that they want to do/achieve that they can't afford or don't have the ability/capacity for doing/achieving it. If people really want to get out from such condition and situation, and want to do/achieve something that they can't afford to do/achieve under those circumstances, they can work on expanding their ability/capacity until they acquire the ability/capacity to do/achieve what they want to do/achieve through their own effort/ability/capacity, without exploiting other people's sympathy and empathy.

To stop exploitation in the world, it's not just that one doesn't exploit anyone with any kind of exploitation, but one must also stay away from being exploited by anyone for any kind of exploitation, to stop 'encouraging' and 'supporting' exploitation of any kind to be happening/existing. Unfortunately, exploitation will continue to be existing as most people can't live without supporting and being supported by the corrupted system of the world of capitalism and consumerism.

It's not about people should be contented and grateful for the exploited underpaid income that provides enough food and shelter, and living a life of 'slavery' spending all energy and effort just to make enough income for survival, to eat, sleep, work and repeat, until they die, and thus, allowing and supporting exploitation to be happening.

It's neither about people are being arrogant and discontented for being too greedy/ambitious for getting higher rewards/payment/income to have a better quality of life, not just living a life of 'slavery', everyday eat, sleep, work and repeat, and hence, people don't want to work for underpaid work, or thinking oneself should 'deserve' a higher pay.

It's definitely not about people are being selfless, desireless and compassionate, and should just work and give even without receiving any payment, not to say, they should be grateful for the 'blessing' of a little bit of payment/income, and hence, 'supporting' and 'encouraging' exploitation to be happening.

Spouses or family members doing something for each other out of love without involving 'payment/income' or 'rewards', is a complete different situation from somebody or an organization/company doing a business making a lot of profits for the owner and/or the board of share holders, but exploiting other people to work for them with the cheapest wage as much as possible, so that they can have a higher margin for profits. Even in a relationship or family, exploitation shouldn't be happening, and yet, people are taking many things for granted, whether people are aware or unaware of it.

Allowing others to exploit or take advantage of oneself and/or others is nothing to do with compassion, and it doesn't remove ignorance and the consequences of ignorance from oneself and/or others. Just as performing many offering, charity, prayers and sacrifices also doesn't remove ignorance and the consequences of ignorance from oneself and/or others.

Just as compassion is nothing to do with giving people whatever they like and desire in order to make them feel happy and satisfied, or feel less unhappy or less suffering.

If people feel under great desperation for money to feed themselves and/or their family and don't mind being exploited working with underpaid income, thinking that having a little bit of income is better than having no income and go hungry or die, that's their freedom. Out of desperation or greed, some people would lie, steal, commit crimes or hurt other people to earn a living, or to get what they desire, that's their freedom. Just as people would give in to corruption out of desperation, by receiving bribe or giving bribe to achieve what they want to achieve, to make their life easier or less hard, that's their freedom.

It's neither right nor wrong. It's just different thinking, understanding, approach, choice and action, that leads to different consequences of action.

Yoga practitioners contemplate on this and free the mind from ignorance.

Sympathetic minds without wisdom

Many years ago in India, there are many pitiful beggars everywhere. Most of them are 'working' under the control of many different syndicates.

Many of them are small boys and girls from toddlers to pre-teens, and also some young girls or young women carrying baby in their arms. Sometimes there are old women as well. These small children and small babies, young girls, young women and old women 'look' extremely pitiful in their dirty worn-out clothing with new and old scars and wounds on their bodies or even partially 'handicapped' that most probably are being inflicted intentionally by the syndicates. The young girls or young women with the small babies and the old women look hungry, under nourished, tired and so sad.

A few of them will come to you with their piteous sad tearful eyes and hungry face, with their heads wobbling side to side, and they gently tapping your arms or pulling your sleeves, and cry out 'Paisa, paisa, paisa...'

Out of sympathy and righteousness, you think you should give them what you think you can afford to give to them. And the moment you hand out something, either food or money or objects, to them, immediately there will be another ten or twenty or thirty of them running towards you, surrounding you making a thick human wall separating you and the onlookers, and also wobbling their heads, tapping your arms and pulling your sleeves and shirt, while pushing their bodies squeezing your body until you feel that you can't breathe.

If you still have no idea of what is going on, and out of helpless sympathy, you tell them with your great sadness that you couldn't help all of them, they'll keep begging you until you give in and give everything that you have on your body. They won't let you go easily. Unless there are police alert and came to your rescue. Or worst, even some of your valuables would be stolen in those chaos moments without your awareness.

If you start to feel intimidated and ask them to go away to leave you alone and try to run away from them, they will run after you, and attack you verbally by cursing at you, and even attack you physically by pinching you or spitting on you or throwing stones towards you.

This is the consequences of ignorant sympathy without wisdom. It's nothing to do with compassion out of wisdom.

Those who are compassionate are free from this kind of ignorant sympathy without wisdom. They would ignore these syndicates controlled beggars. As they know if they give something to these beggars out of sympathy, it's definitely not going to help them to be free from the syndicates, but it will be supporting and empowering the existence of such syndicates. It encourages the syndicates to exploit and abuse more toddlers, young children, young girls, young women and old women. Most of them are being drugged, or being threatened, or even being abducted from their family and home to put them on the streets as beggars and they have no freewill but to give all the begged money to the syndicates to avoid being beaten or punished in exchange for shelter and food, and lots of them are being intentionally partially blinded or amputated to get the effect of 'piteous' and 'sympathy deserving' look. It's a ridiculous terrible thing that might still happening somewhere.

Some of them are not begging under the control of syndicates, but they are being abused and forced by their own parents or relatives to go out begging on the streets. And some of them, are out of their own freewill.

Sometimes there are old men who look so hungry, sad and pitiful come to beg you for money. You feel so sympathy and give them some money. They took the money and go straight to the liquor shop to get their fix, and they got drunk, either they become unconsciousness for many hours, or they would fight with each other, or they go back home and behave violently towards their wives and children under the influence of alcohol.

Those who truly practice yoga, or have the basic wisdom of humanity, they will not support or encourage such activities out of such ignorant sympathy. A lot of time, out of wisdom and compassion, you have to say no. And that's not cruel at all. It's ignorance that make the mind thinks and believes that it's cruel and wrong to not show sympathy towards such 'pitiful' beings, regardless human or animals.

You will see signs in India everywhere, telling people do not encourage begging and do not give anything to the beggars.

It's the same as there are many people have great love and affection towards particular animals, especially those animals that are 'cute' looking, that enjoy being pet and fed by people, and out of 'love', people want to possess them to keep them as pet, to show affection to them and look after them. Some even treat the animals or their pets more loving and caring than towards their own family members or their parents or their children. When they think other people don't show any particular interest or 'respect' or 'proper treatment' towards the animals that they love very much, they would feel greatly disturbed or offended. In order to protect the animals that they love very much from other animals' or human's threats or intimidation, they would hurt other animals or human that they think are threatening or intimidating the animals that they love very much. Out of love and affection towards animals, people keep them, feed them, pet them, pamper them, and keep them away from any threats. It's like well-pampered and protected children growing up without knowing how to be independent or to survive by themselves. This is ignorance. This is not yoga or yoga practice.

Another example, children who like to eat sweets and drink sweetened soft-drinks everyday. If the children don't get their sugar fix on time, the way that they like it to be, they will be very unhappy and cry and shout and do things that would hurt themselves. If out of sympathetic love and affection towards the children, you will want to give them what they want, so that they will be happy and stop crying or hurting themselves, but in fact, you are responsible for supporting and empowering their ignorance, and they will suffer for their consequences of their ignorance very much. If out of compassion, you do not give them what they want, and let them be unhappy and throw tantrum, but at the same time, allowing them to learn and understand the damaging effects of consuming sweets and sweetened soft-drinks regularly. And this will help them to avoid unnecessary painful suffering later, or maybe, to suffer less.

Be kind towards other beings and appreciate all beings and objects out of compassion with wisdom, not out of ignorant passionate love and sympathy.

Yoga teachers who are wise and compassionate do not try to please the yoga students by giving them what they like and want, or telling them what they like and love to hear. But out of compassion, to guide them to be free from ignorance, by giving them the teachings and practice that are not necessarily what they expect it to be, that is not necessarily what they like or can agree with. Out of ignorance, they might be dissatisfied and unhappy about it, but it gives them the precious opportunity to come in contact with the truth of what is going on in their minds, and allows them to learn to see the ignorance and egoism in their minds, and if they realize the ignorance and egoism in themselves, out of their own freewill, they may or may not want to work diligently to free their minds from ignorance and egoism, and that is their freedom. The teachers cannot be there for them all the time, watching their practice, to discipline them, to tell them do this or don't do that. But the teachers allow the students to learn to become their own teachers and develop correct understanding and self-independence, out of their own freewill, self-awareness, self-discipline and self-control, they perform their own practice to purify and quiet their minds, and through self-inquiry and silencing the mind to attain self-realization of the truth, and be free.

Contemplate on this and be free.

When the mind is greatly disturbed by the inputs from social medias

Compassion is reflected in an equanimous mind that remains undisturbed under any difficult or challenging conditions and situations.

If the mind is greatly disturbed by the inputs from social medias, may it be worldly issues or regional issues or personal issues, then out of compassion towards oneself and others, it's better for the mind to stay away from social medias for some time. Be kind to this mind and take care of this mind.

Losing the balanced state of the mind doesn't help the world that one loves and cares very much to be better or to be free from suffering, no matter how intense that one loves and cares towards other beings or the world. It's everyone's freedom for how they feel and what they want to do. Those who practice yoga is to maintain equanimous and undisturbed under any condition and situation, that allows the mind to be compassionate and have the clarity to perform necessary actions out of wisdom.

One doesn't need to react with great disturbance of anger, hatred, disappointment, distress, depression, ill-thinking and ill-will, to show that one cares a lot for the world or sympathizes towards other people's suffering. The disturbed reactions of the mind towards something that the mind dislikes and disagrees with is nothing to do with compassion.

Being compassionate towards oneself and others, is reflected in a peaceful mind, where there is awareness of the inputs or the knowledge of names and forms, and there might be action need to be performed to deal with difficult condition or situation, but there's no disturbed reaction of impurities arise in the mind towards something that the intellect recognizes as 'bad', 'horrible', 'terrible', 'negative', 'wrong', 'depressing' or 'sorrowful'.

When the mind doesn't react with anger, hatred, disappointment, distress, depression, grief, or sorrow, it doesn't mean that this mind is unconcerned or cruel or discompassionate. The mind can be compassionate and sympathize towards the suffering of oneself and others, but it doesn't has to be reflected with impurities of anger, hatred, disappointment, distress, depression, grief, or sorrow. There's nothing wrong with the reflection of anger, hatred, disappointment, distress, depression, grief, or sorrow in the mind towards something that the intellect recognizes as 'bad', 'horrible', 'terrible', 'negative', 'wrong', 'depressing' or 'sorrowful', but it has nothing to do with compassion.

Impurities are the product of ignorance and egoism. When the mind is under the influence of ignorance and egoism, this mind is unable to be compassionate, even though it might show sympathy and empathy towards the suffering in oneself and others, while being disturbed by the unpleasant difficult condition and situation.

To realize the distinct between compassion (that is undisturbed by the object of suffering) and passionate sympathy/empathy (that is physically, mentally, emotionally be disturbed by the object of suffering), is the yoga practice.

Many people who attached onto worldly thinking and belief might interpret this undisturbed state of mind as unsympathetic or unempathetic, as they think and believe human beings should react with anger, hatred, disappointment, distress, depression, grief, or sorrow towards something that they think is 'bad', 'horrible', 'terrible', 'negative', 'wrong', 'depressing' or 'sorrowful', otherwise, it's abnormal, uncivilized, insane, inhuman or wrong, if people don't react in such way. And that's okay. It's everyone's freedom for what they think and how they want to feel and react towards everything that they perceive.

Those who know, they know. Those who don't know, they don't know. Can't do anything about it.

What's the difference between sympathy and compassion?

What's the difference between sympathy and compassion?

Anger, ill-will and ill-feelings might co-exist with sympathy and empathy. While anger or any forms of ill-will or ill-feelings are absent in compassion.

One might be able to feel empathy for other's sorrow and suffering, or show sympathy towards others who are less fortunate or are suffering, but it's not necessarily that one is also compassionate. One who doesn't have compassion might not be able to show sympathy or empathy towards other's suffering when oneself is under difficult condition or critical situation. Out of self-righteousness, one might show sympathy or empathy towards others whom one thinks and believes are 'the victim' of suffering, but at the same time, one can be disturbed by others' suffering and be angry with the cause of suffering and 'the one' who is responsible for the suffering, and one might generate actions and speech that would hurt oneself and others out of anger. One also might not show sympathy or empathy towards others whom one thinks and believes that they don't deserve sympathy or empathy from others.

If compassion is present, there's neither suffering nor the cause of suffering in oneself. It's knowing the truth of suffering. It's not about feeling sorry or feeling bad for others whom our minds think and believe they are experiencing something terribly bad or sad. It's nothing to do with self-righteousness which based on what the mind believes what is good and bad, what is right and wrong, what is should and shouldn't, and who deserve or don't deserve non-discrimination and loving kindness. One who has compassion will be able to show sympathy or empathy towards others' suffering even when oneself is under difficult condition or critical situation. One is undetermined, undisturbed or uninfluenced by the presence of suffering or the cause of suffering in others, and will not generate actions and speech that would hurt others, whether intentionally or unintentionally. One is free from anger, hatred, ill-thinking, ill-will and ill-feelings.

If compassion is absent, there will be perception of suffering, the victim who suffers, the cause of suffering, and the one who is to be blamed, who is responsible for the cause of suffering. There will be anger and hatred towards something that is contradicted with one's social, cultural and religious thinking and belief. There will be expectation or anticipation that others should react with sympathy and empathy towards the existence of suffering and the victim of suffering.

For example -

Conflict broke up between A and B, and B generated actions and speech that were hurtful towards A, while C came to know about this.

A might or might not be hurt or suffered because of B's behavior. While C might think that A should or shouldn't feel hurt by such behavior, or C might assume that A was or wasn't hurt by B's behavior.

In worldly conditioned thinking and reaction - A is a victim, B is responsible for inflicting suffering onto A, while C should get involve by either showing sympathy, or empathy, out of humanity. Or else C is selfish or inhuman, if C choose to be care less and not getting involve at all.

Out of worldly conditioned thinking and reaction, A might feel itself as a victim of other's bad behavior and feels sympathy towards oneself, and also expects sympathy and empathy from others. Or, out of compassion, A didn't feel hurt by B and wasn't angry with B's behavior, and didn't think itself as a victim of other's bad behavior, knowing that B is also a victim of the ignorance and suffering in oneself to behave in such way.

Meanwhile, B might be aware or unaware of it's behavior could be hurtful and cause suffering onto others. B might be regretful and apologetic, or not. But A and C have the freedom on whether they want to react, or not, and how they would react if they chose to react.

Everyone is free to act and react in their own way. Everyone also takes responsibility for the consequences of their own actions and reactions.

If compassion is absent in C, C might feel empathy for A, or show sympathy towards A standing from the point of view of a third party thinking that A is a victim and deserves empathy and sympathy from others, and C might be disturbed and angry with B's behavior, even when A wasn't disturbed or didn't feel hurt by B's behavior, not to say if A was disturbed and felt hurt by B's behavior. Or, C might ignore the situation and be care less and not getting involve at all, thinking that 'It's not my problem." There's nothing wrong in either these reactions. But, neither these reactions have anything to do with compassion.

If compassion exists in C, C is aware of the truth. C is aware of A's reaction, whether sympathy from others is needed or not, coming from A's reaction and it's not coming from C's assumption of how A should react. A is also under the influence of ignorance if A feels disturbed and hurt by B's behavior and expects sympathy or empathy coming from others. C is also aware of B's behavior is out of ignorance and is also a victim of suffering. There's no need to be angry with B or B's behavior at all.

All are the victims of ignorance and suffering except the one who is compassionate.