The Cause for Genuine Compassion: Dropping Negative Emotions

The cause for genuine compassion, Tulku Migmar Tsering explains, is dropping negative emotions. In this second segment of a teaching given at Samye Hermitage in New York, in July 2023, Tulku underlined the importance of knowing what causes suffering. Only by appreciating what brings uneasiness and pain for ourselves and others can we authentically develop compassion. All of us have some aspect of compassion. Yet, if our minds are disturbed by strong emotions, that compassion disappears instantly. On the other hand, if we take time to train in building our compassion muscles regardless of how others treat us, we find that our hearts genuinely open.

Tulku-la shares a story from his experience advising practitioners in real-world situations. He explains how he advised a pracitioner to deal with a boss who seemed to be treating him disrespectfully and rudely. Tulku-la suggested that instead of quitting his job out of irritation, the employee should instead try making an effort from his own side to be cheerful and polite to his boss. The result of the experiment was transformative!

We may all have experienced similar situations where we became angry or upset with the way we perceived others were treating us. But what might result if we did not hold a grudge or “fight back” but instead focused on being kind and conscientious with the other person or people. We can never know what is going on in other peoples’ minds and hearts. But often we focus on how their actions impact us, rather than treating everyone with our own innate love and compassion. If we drop our negative emotions, that is the cause for genuine compassion to shine forth. Give it a try for yourself and see what you observe!