Choosing Compassion

June 24, 2019
In a hopeful, conversational tone, Tibetan Buddhist monk and teacher Thubten (No Self, No Problem) urges readers to tear down mental defenses in order to open their hearts and feel the suffering of others. Sharing wisdom garnered from over four decades of Buddhist study, Thubten asks readers to reject tribalism and the propensity to divide humanity into groups, and instead to embrace all of humanity as one. In the modern era, he writes, people are more connected than ever before; a benefit of society he believes is hampered by the most worrying problem today: what he terms an “all-pervasive unawareness” (the product of individualistic values) that perpetuates anxiety and fear
. To overcome this, one must recognize the suffering of others and the need for compassion, because “compassion is the best medicine to cure this illness, the illness of loneliness, isolation, and alienation.” Alongside a brief overview of the Buddhist doctrines of the Four Noble Truths, Thubten also suggests reciting a Tibetan prayer: “May all living beings be free from suffering and the cause of suffering.” For the general reader or Buddhist novice, Thubten’s observations on Buddhist teachings of compassion will provide action steps for living a life focused on the concerns and needs of others.