A Buddha has compassion for all creatures. But his compassion, which is great compassion (mahā-karuṇā), is different from ordinary compassion (karuṇā). For one thing it is free from delusion whereas ordinary compassion is not.
So where does compassion come in as a matter of teaching Dharma to the unawakened? What does the discourse titled, The Simile of the Field (Khettūpamasutta 42:7) have to say on this matter?
We learn from it that the Buddha is like a farmer who wishes to sow seed (the Dharma). Where first should he first sow it? Should he sow it in the excellent field, or in the field of middling quality, or in the field that is inferior which is rough, salty, with bad ground?
Most, I would assume, picked the first field and they would be right. But today with egalitarianism playing somewhat of a dominant role in our society, I envision that the Buddha, like the farmer, would be asked to sow his precious Dharma seed on inferior minds. But this is really kind of stupid. For one thing, nothing will grow from this effort. It is a waste of time and precious energy. I have seen it first hand. It doesn’t work. It leads to a break up of the Buddhist community.
What the discourse really tells us is that the Dharma, which is like seed, should be given first to the monastics, followed by the laypeople and lastly, those whose beliefs and values run contrary to the Buddha's Dharma.
Comments