thank you note

the 4 immeasurables..
my nick name for the four
of us at the teachings...
each received a thank-you card
from the gyuto monks.
(www.gyutocenter.org)

mine said:
compassion
usually, our concept
of compassion or love
refers to the feeling
of closeness we have
with our friends and loved ones.
sometimes compassion also
carries a sense of pity.
this is wrong.
any love or compassion
which entails looking down
on the other
is not genuine compassion.
to be genuine,
compassion must be based
on respect for the other,
and on the realization
that others have the right
to be happy and overcome suffering,
just as much as you do.
on this basis,
since you can see
that others are suffering,
you develop a genuine
sense of concern for them.
HHDL

perfecto!