Compassion

Wisdom Teachings
Essences of the Teachings

Just like man incarnates many times in order to develop, the globe as a living being also has its span, after which it dissolves. After an interim period a new globe emerges, and thus the activity of evolution continues. The story of Vaivasvata Manu in the Indian Puranas narrates how the souls are guided across the dissolved state of Pralaya to a new globe. In the interim period they are lying in a deep sleep. They are those souls who couldn’t terminate their evolution on the previous globe and ascend to higher spheres. For these waiting souls the new globe is created, as an act of compassion in the divine plan. For in order to develop further, they need a foundation and a body. Creation is a compassionate impulse of the divine for the souls, so that they can continue their journey. Thus they accumulate experiences through a long series of incarnations, until they finally realise that they are in reality Brahman, THAT – That I Am –, and consciously unite with the Divine.

For ages the human monads didn’t have a mind. They developed like in a dreamless sleep. In order to awaken the thought principle in these beings, the Kumaras – also called Manasa Putras, Sons of Brahma, the cosmic mind – descended onto the planet in the 3rd root race. Out of compassion these solar angels left their high planes in order to stimulate the brain of the animal-man and to develop the I-Am consciousness in him. The awareness of the I Am is due to the presence of the solar angel. Only human beings have this self-consciousness, animals and the other lower kingdoms of nature don’t have it.

According to the wisdom teachings this act of compassion was the biggest event in the development of humanity and led to the foundation of Spiritual Hierarchy on earth. The Manasa Putras, mysteriously also called the cosmic rebels, came down under the guidance of Sanat Kumara, in order to extend their helping hand to their brothers living on the lower ranks so as to enable them to ascend like out of a deep valley. This is a very difficult task and demands incredible patience. They still continue working on it, so that we can rise from the flesh and experience ourselves as radiant beings of light. They try to make sure that we progress on the path of light and accept responsibility – for ourselves and in order to help others in their development. We are helped so that we help others, too. This is also called the law of compassion.

The Secret Doctrine says that it was a far-reaching decision with a great risk to give mind to the human beings. It was like opening Pandora’s Box, and in this the karma of the past of the monads was taken into account. It is up to the monads to train their will and to make the right decisions. If they take the wrong decisions, they destroy themselves. Thus Lemuria and Atlantis went down. But the monads keep on getting a new opportunity, on new continents or even new globes. The Manasa Putras set a great hope on the human evolution, and they never give up this hope, in spite of all adverse human behaviour. The human intellect cannot grasp the compassion and patience of the Divine.

The great teachers of mankind like Buddha or Christ belong to the human family; they have not descended from higher circles, but have gone ahead of us on the path of light and love. By virtue of their compassion they have refused to ascend into higher circles, but have stayed with us, in order to support us as transmitters of light and love. Through them a bridge is built between the higher circles and humanity, so that we also can ascend to the divine realms. Every master of wisdom is the “word made flash”, light that manifested in a body. Therefore it is very inspiring to study their lives, their actions and their teachings. It magnetises us, elevates us from our narrow thought patterns and has a profound, transforming effect. Normally we only learn through the experiences we make, whether they are pleasant or bitter, and usually we learn through pain. But out of compassion the knowers inform us of their experiences in order to spare us wrong tracks and suffering, if we are ready learn from them. This is also called divine grace.

Krishna says, there are no good or bad people, but only those who know and those who don’t know. Between knowledge and ignorance there are innumerable gradations. Often weakness is mistaken for malice. A Yogi doesn’t judge the weak and ignorant, but tries to strengthen and enlighten them. He includes all and excludes none. He who excludes gets excluded by Nature. Hierarchy sees humanity as a unity. You cannot simply cut off every sick part of the body, and even much less with humanity. All people are monads and therefore immortal. The masters of wisdom therefore don’t fight against the evil, but try to bring the ignorant to the path of light. This is a very difficult work and demands incredible patience, service, silence and sacrifice.

Jesus was friendly and full of compassion towards all, even prostitutes and criminals. While he was hanging on the cross, he prayed to the Father in Heaven, “Father forgive them, for they don’t know, therefore they do this.” Can we be full of compassion, even towards a thief or a blackmailer? The Yogis and Enlightened Ones have always demonstrated that they can deal with the same ease with a worker of goodwill as with someone who is working at something evil, and their love flows towards both of them, even if it can express itself as severity.

We easily feel compassion with people who behave according to our conceptions. But if their behaviour doesn’t agree with our expectations, we quickly lose our tolerance, and this easily cuts the thread of cordiality. When we see in the other the soul and not the personality, we meet the soul and don’t burden ourselves with the personality. This is called impersonal love. It is not a parroting of love, like many preachers and teachers are doing, but we experience how a feeling of sympathy flows towards the other. Thus we can realise the problems of the personality and how the other suffers from his own patterns.

The moment we see the soul in the other we are in the soul. Why should we feel bothered or hurt, if the other behaves with us in a negative way? His behaviour is his problem; we need not respond to it. We can react as a soul and accept the person as such. To tell someone that he is negative is already a negative statement by itself. If what we say causes comfort, the other slowly unfolds towards us. Otherwise he folds up into himself instead of opening up.

Buddha says that if we are deaf towards the problems, pains and sufferings of others, we are a desecrated temple. But many get sick themselves when they listen to the problems of others, and they try to let them not even affect them. This avoiding arises out of a lack of compassion. Attentive listening is a great service and an act of healing. Listening can already elevate the sufferer from his suffering. The other speaks about his problems, and through listening we draw the problems out of the other, take them into ourselves and then give them into the reservoir of inexhaustible energy. Thus we then absorb and evaporate them.

Feeling pity is not a virtue, pity is a shadow of compassion. Compassion on the other hand gives the other comfort. When somewhere a catastrophe happens, moaning and being influenced by it doesn’t help. If, however, we immediately send a thought of healing, we help those who suffer to regain poise. So we exert influence in a positive and effective way; we set the tone of the situation instead of being affected by it.

The whole planetary atmosphere is polluted by vibrations of cruelty and killing of men and animals. Today this has reached an all-time high and has a tremendous etheric impact. Already 2500 years ago Buddha called humanity to non-violence and out of compassion to put an end to killing. All teachers of wisdom give their support to all those who work with the age-old principles of love, compassion and cooperation. It is not important whether we see success or failure of our actions; only our intention and willingness count. When we radiate friendliness, love and compassion towards our fellow beings, we have a healing effect and support on all people in our surroundings.

K.P. Kumar: Wisdom Buds / Mithila / notes from seminars. The World Teacher Trust - Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India.