No.10 - What Is True Compassion

One must be careful not to confuse compassion with morbid manifestations of sadness, with feelings of mental pain and with sentimentality. At the loss of a dear one, man weeps, but that is not compassion. If we analyse such feelings carefully we will conclude that they are outward manifestations of our inner thoughts of selfish affection. Why do we feel sad? Because our loved one has passed away. He who was our kith and kin is now no more. We feel that we have lost the happiness and all else that we derived from him and so we are sad.

Do we not see that all these feelings revolve round the 'I', 'Me' and 'Mine'? Whether we like it or not, self interest was responsible for it all. Can we call this karuna, pity or compassion? Why do we not feel equally sad when others who are not our kith and kin pass away before our eyes? Because we were not familiar with them, they were not ours, we have not lost anything and are not denied the pleasures and comforts we already enjoy. It will now be clear that our feeling of sadness at the loss of a dear one is the outcome of our own selfishness: this is a subtle psychological affair, and all worldlings are subject to such shortcomings and weaknesses. It is the man with a highly developed mind who controls such feelings and tries to see the situation as it really is, according to karma, to see things as they are, and not as they appear to be. Compassion is surely not a flabby state of mind. It is a strong enduring thing.

When a person is in distress it is the truly compassionate man's heart that trembles. This, however, is not sadness; it is this quaking of the heart that spurs him to action and incites him to rescue the distressed. And this needs strength of mind, much tolerance and equanimity, another of the four sublime states. Those who rush to a conclusion and declare compassion to be an expression of feebleness, because it has the quality of tenderness, do not know what they are talking about. May be according to them persecution is a sign of strength.

- The Buddha's Ancient Path

No.8 - The Travels of Andrew Sum - China Town.

14th December,2008 Sunday



I visited Kuala Lumpur's China Town - the famous Petaling Street. The blue sky and beatiful scenary makes it a wonderful day. It is at 1000 hours in the morning and the stalls are just being pushed open. The customers are just about to be pouring in.





Christmas is around the corner. Shops near Petaling Streets are

well decorated.











Visitors walking about in Petaling Street.











An early monk waiting for donations.











A whole family having their field day.









Children sandles on sales.












Indian mangoes for sales.










Succulent and juicy fruits stalls are a plenty.








A man selling his wares.










A chinese herbal shop.

A three floor Mc Donald near Petaling Street.

Petaling Street.

Petaling Street China Town from the outside view.

A famous old chinese temple near China Town. Here school children goes to pray and ask for blessings before an exam to get good luck and good grades.

An old restaurant serving the best coffee in town.

This old man, though his hands shaking, knows how to make the best coffee.