By the editors of Lucifer – the Netherlands.
[This is a reprint from Lucifer – the Messenger of Light, an original publication of I.S.I.S. Foundation, i.e. International Study-centre for Independent Search for truth. The editor is grateful for the permission given to make this important paper available for all readers of Theosophy Forward.]
The five Jewels we have discussed already describe the inner path, the path of developing consciousness. The sixth Jewel presents us with this essential question: why do we follow the path of inner growth? What is our motive? The sixth Jewel of Wisdom teaches us that there is a choice that has great moral consequences.
We can enlarge our consciousness from two fundamentally different motives. If we strive for spiritual peace for ourselves, then we walk, as we call it, the Everyone-for-himself Path. If we continue on that path throughout our lives, we will eventually achieve spiritual enlightenment: Buddhahood. We enter the super spiritual condition of Nirvana (which after all was the only goal) — and disappear from the stage of life.
But if it is our goal to help our fellow pilgrims on the arduous path of evolution, then we walk the Path of Compassion, or in other words, the Path of self-forgetfulness. We will also achieve inner growth, but this is not a goal in itself, but a means: the means by which we can help others with more insight. Then our growth is essentially a byproduct of our servitude to our fellowmen. Then we walk the path that all great Sages and Teachers of mankind have walked before us. We will also eventually reach the high condition of spiritual enlightenment (Buddhahood), but we will refuse to enter Nirvana, because we want to remain active within this Planet, for the benefit of all that lives. This is the noble sacrifice that the Buddha of Compassion makes.
We see that both paths lead to inner growth. But the Buddha of compassion was able to overcome all feelings of separateness and merged into Oneness; the Buddha for-himself-alone failed in that respect. The final results, therefore, are essentially different.
The sixth Jewel as part of a philosophy of life
It may appear that the sixth Jewel of Wisdom, the doctrine of the two paths, is not yet of much concern for us, ordinary people. We already have so much trouble trying to control our daily selfish wants and our matter directed inclinations, that such a subtle choice between these two paths seems very far away.
But that impression is not justified. This sixth Jewel is inspiring for every human being – because it shows us the Path of Compassion – as it is practical, because it is now that we are building our characteristic of thinking (see the article about self-becoming). It is not that somewhere in the far future we arrive at a crossroads; no, we are building a pattern of habits right now. We may not be able to recognize the most hidden subtleties of our own motives yet, but we can already choose to keep to a clear path.
Think of the many situations where we could devote our time to our own inner growth, but nonetheless choose for doing duties for the benefit of others. Parents that accompany their children to the playground usually cannot do something for themselves at that moment. When an older employee is given the task to help a younger coworker settle in, he cannot spend all his time making a speedy career for himself. And here’s another example: someone who had lost jobs several times but kept his peace of mind, because he had the conviction that he would find a new position where he was most needed.
Compassion: the law of laws
The keyword with the sixth Jewel is ‘compassion.’ What do we mean by that, in the light of Theosophy? The whole Cosmos is governed by divine harmony, which means: servitude of all for all. In the book The Voice of the SilenceH.P. Blavatsky writes: “Compassion is no attribute. It is the law of laws. (1) To live compassionately is to live in the realization that there is unity (the seventh Jewel of Wisdom).
Most of the conflicts and disappointments, the indifference and the egotism in our world can be traced back to ‘island thinking’, to our lack of knowledge of the spiritual background of life. If you live from the realization of unity, then you submit yourself to the whole. Then no personal goal whatsoever is intended. Never again are you placed before the most fundamental choice: do I choose for myself or for the other? You no longer need to choose. You already made the choice! It is this mentality that we call compassion. Compassion is indeed not an attribute but a mentality, an attitude. You have no personal
goals, but you always live in the perception of universal brotherhood. The quotation below of W.Q. Judge touches upon the essence:
“Brotherhood is not sentiment. It is not emotion. Nor yet is it so-called love. It is putting one’s self mentally in the very place of another and realizing his difficulties, while showing him that true compassion for which we would hope in like place.(2)
The Choice
The one who follows the Path of Compassion and the one who follows the Everyone-for-himself Path both perform acts of compassion. But because their motives are essentially different, the consequences of their choice are very different as well. Whichever path we choose, we will harvest what we have sown (the Jewel of cause and effect).
When we walk the Path of Compassion we cooperate with Nature, which is in fact based on Unity. We will distribute our knowledge of Nature, as far as we understand it, to as many beings as possible. We will be concerned with the evolutionary successes and failures of an ever-extending circle of people.
Our circle of activity will extend itself continuously, and this is not the case for someone who merely wants to do ‘the minimum’ that is necessary to reach Nirvana. Our compassionate motive is the binding force: because of it we slow down our evolutionary progress, although our consciousness becomes in a very profound sense ever broader and deeper. Therefore we will attain the condition of Buddhahood less quickly than one who follows the Everyone-for-himself Path.
It is like a student who continuously tries to help his fellow students to prepare for their tests. He will be working on material that he himself has mastered a long time ago. He will think of ways to explain the learning material. This allows him less time for his own studies, but many of his fellow students will be able to pass their tests.
This mentality will lead to refusal of Nirvana – this condition of supreme bliss – when we ‘stand at its
Threshold.’ We don’t want to go to the next ‘class’, because that means we can no longer help our classmates. Instead we choose to give up every evolutionary ‘step upwards’ during long, long cosmic eras and to take our place in the Protection Wall of the Planet. We choose to be an active transmitter of the highest divine wisdom, because this is the only way we can show pilgrims that are less advanced than us, the way to liberation and enlightenment. It is the noblest work that can be done in the Cosmos!
And although this choice is an immense sacrifice in a way – because the Buddha of Compassion remains in an atmosphere that he experiences as a kind of underworld – this choice also gives unspeakable joy.
But in the long run the consequences are this: the Buddha Everyone-for-himself enters Nirvana and he isolates himself from the rest of Life. He sleeps his blissful sleep during uncountable centuries, we are taught. But his development stands still. He had set for himself a limited goal, and once this was reached, every impulse to ‘cooperate with Nature’ disappeared. The Buddha of Compassion, on the other
hand, had the goal to cooperate with Nature, and that is a goal without limits or end. He will always continue to learn. That is why, when in the far future the Buddha of Everyone-for-himself will wake up, he will discover that a) he has strongly isolated himself, and b) he is very much lagging behind the Buddhas of Compassion. Many who are first will be last.
What is compassion?
Compassion means: servitude to all that lives. From the idea of unity you identify with the other, so that you consider his problems to be yours. This is the basic attitude. You don’t only help when you see someone is suffering, in your thoughts you always start from the notion of unity. In Theosophy, with compassion we mean something else than pity. Pity arises when the sorrow of someone else influences your state of mind. In other words, you take over the emotions that the other one is suffering from.
You suffer with him. If the other one feels sorrow, you feel sorrow.
Compassion and pity are of a totally different character. Compassion is of an impersonal nature, so not colored by personal preferences. You are capable to act from insight in the causes behind what appears to be. Pity is colored by the personality; it is an instinctive sensing, but it does not offer insight in the causes that lay behind. For example, when someone gets wounded, he is not very much helped with pity, but he would be helped when someone can calmly determine what should be done. Still, pity is not at all wrong. Catching the feelings of someone else gives us the chance to see if something serious is going on. Every
aspect or ability in man has its role or place. It is obvious that the average man has only just started to evolve his compassion, whilst his feelings are already fully active.
Living from Unity
The theosophical doctrine of the two paths is in essence about pairs of opposites. When cosmic life embodies itself, it always appears in pairs of opposites: high-low, far advanced-not far advanced, spirit-matter, Yin and Yang. Both the Cosmos and every being in it, is built up from two poles: a spiritual pole, our deepest core, and a material pole, our outer vehicle. The material has flowed forth from the spiritual, and will – if all is well – be guided by the spiritual.
Well, these opposites are always relative. We human beings are far advanced beings when compared to a plant or a mineral, but not far advanced when compared to a Solar divinity. This way you can check all opposites: they are all relative. And behind and in and above all those pairs of opposites is the One Life.
He who follows the Path of Compassion, does not choose for spirit or for matter. Spirit is not good per se and matter is not evil per se. He sees beyond the illusion. He does not attach absolute reality to matter, as materialistic thinkers tend to do. Neither does he attach absolute reality to what we see as ‘spirit’, the condition of Nirvana, the summit of human consciousness. That bliss is only temporary and that summit is only relative: grander fields of experience are waiting beyond that Nirvana.
He who sees the unity behind spirit and matter lives and works where he is needed most, in order to support all that lives in this way. This is why the Buddha of Compassion, after he has reached Nirvana, chooses to keep following the call of compassion:
“If thou would’st have that stream of hard-earn’d knowledge, of Wisdom heaven-born, remain sweet running waters, thou should’st not leave it to become a stagnant pond. (…)
Now bend thy head and listen well, O Bodhisattva — Compassion speaks and saith: ‘Can there be bliss when all that lives must suffer? Shalt thou be saved and hear the whole world cry’ (…)
Thou shalt attain the seventh step and cross the gate of final knowledge but only to wed woe — if thou would’st be Tathagata, follow upon thy predecessor’s steps, remain unselfish till the endless end. (3)
What does living a compassionate life mean?
The first step on the Path of Compassion is building a vision, in which the seven Jewels of Wisdom can play a part. Let’s shape an image of selfless brotherhood and live accordingly. Day in, day out this image will give us the inspiration to tune our practical life to that vision. Gradually, because of spiritual will, all our personal characteristics will play a less dominant role in our lives. They melt away like snow before the sun.
Below we give some inspiring building blocks for such an ideal vision, handed to us by readers of Lucifer:
Examine and guard your motives
Are we compassionate for compassion’s sake or do we act compassionately for personal satisfaction, for instance because we so much want to do good (‘the holy obligation’, who is not familiar with it?) or because we think that things should happen our way? A striking quotation:
What can you think about and improve, as far as your inner development reaches? This question matters, because we all have influence and my world view is getting broader.
• My relationship with my partner, children and family.
(Do I really try to support or guide them?)
• Work and voluntary work, leisure time. (Is something
positive being accomplished?)
• Being born and getting new chances to learn lessons.
(Helping others to grow, karma)
Some people draw the conclusion from Theosophy that an unselfish life is a life without happiness. The opposite is true. Acting unselfishly is always accompanied by joy, inner peace, and often also with a generous portion of humor. In fact, we think that the only, genuinely sustainable bliss can only flow forth from compassionate acts. Happiness is a matter of vision. Compassion means having the right vision. You see unity and therefore, without saying, you work for the other one. This gives immense joy.
We do not do it for this joy and peace — but they are the logical results of a life lived from the realization of unity.
Do the duties that are right in front of you
The more we let the needs of others (which is, as we all know, something else than the wishes of others) be leading for the choices we make, the more we rise above all kinds of personal motivations. It is sometimes necessary, for example, to make a remark that may possibly be considered harsh — but the person concerned could get a wake-up call before even more harm will be done. An act like this
can be compared to a painful intervention of a doctor: at the moment it is done it may be disagreeable, but in the end it is very healing.
Another beautiful example is this one:
When making decisions, now I first think of my fellow men instead of my own interests. For example, recently an acquaintance of mine (no family or friend) was admitted to hospital far from where I live. Immediately I thought that if I would visit her, this would cost me half a day. I put that thought aside at once. The person I visited was very happy with me visiting. According to her sister who came with me,
her reaction was surprisingly positive. She recognized me immediately, where just a few days before she did not even recognize her own sister. This right and immediate decision has brought me joy as well.
Helping our fellow men to help themselves
An aid worker, who works a lot with people that have psychological problems, describes this very inspiring ideal:
“The motive is that every man will get a grip on his own life again and to shape it and self-consciously give it meaning. Regardless what life looks like for a client, the main thing is to further self-directed development so that one will not be swept away by all the waves of life. You also help them
to better understand life and their own life. And you try to make them see the connection between action and reaction (or cause and effect).”
Passing on the wisdom as we have received it
Only when we have understood some of the wisdom and have made it part of our own life, we can pass on a ‘spark of insight. ‘ One of our readers gave a nice example of this:
“Thanks to the course ‘Thinking Differently’ I can deal with conflicts much better, in team meetings at work for example. In the course you learn that you can bring back every problem to the facts, and then you can look for solutions together. So: no emphasizing on ‘who is guilty, has to come up with a solution’. Even more important is: now I can also explain this way of problem-solving much better, so that others can apply it too.”
We make the choice now
The sixth Jewel is a present-day, and directly applicable Jewel because we make the choice between the Path of Compassion or the Everyone-for-himself Path each moment of our life. Compassion is, as we have stated, not an attribute but the recognition of the fact of Oneness, and living accordingly (see the last article, about the seventh Jewel). In that sense, it is the most natural thing that exists. Think about it: only by true vision and true selflessness can we reduce the suffering in the world durably, and return hope to the hearts of men.
An unselfish man never stands alone. In fact, the whole Cosmos is behind him because it is founded on harmony and compassion. There is the challenge for us human beings: to a meaningful, impersonal cooperation with each other, as the next quotation expresses so clearly:
“I have become aware that there are many people that have the same ideal that I have, and that we can, by working together, better realize our common ideal to contribute to a better world.
References
1. H.P. Blavatsky, The Voice of the Silence. Fragment 3: The Seven Portals. Various editions. See text between notes 30 and 31.
2. W.Q. Judge, Echoes of the Orient. Vol. 3, ‘Suggestions and aids (New Series No. 3, Nov. 12, 1891)’ , p. 367.
3. See ref. 1, see text between notes 25 and 26, and text between notes 34 and 35.