Here, we follow compassion (lit., with suffering, pain) as understood in Eastern wisdom. In the West compassion, as much, is framed as psychological, emotional, and individual, so personal. In Buddhism, for example, compassion flows wedded with wisdom, naturally. Compassion, then, is not personal, is not grounded in person as expressing an emotion, or feeling, called compassionate. "Person" is a participant in the flow of compassion, with wisdom, but "person" cannot have compassion for another "person." Compassion simply is, and compassionate action flows based on wisdom, or clarity, or insight. The way to express compassion most truly is not to get personally involved in suffering, in pain. The moment you get personally involved, rather than being-with, being non-personally present, compassion does not flow freely. Much suffering we inflict on others and ourselves by being personally involved, possibly, for that is the only way many of us have been taught to be caring, but this is not the natural way, at all, it is simply the personal way.
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As a young boy, aged 15, I became a Christian clergyperson, preaching on Sundays when pastors were off and doing interim work, filling in when churches were looking for a new pastor. I, also, had a radio broadcast for three years. I served as pastor in many churches and, likewise, as a professor of religion in college, for six years.
Now, age 58, I look back and laugh sometimes at how I might have appeared to those I was serving. I have said to others, with humor, "I can, now, see why some persons got so upset with me." I had a lot of zeal, and expected too much of myself, and of others. I could not see this at the time, as is usually so in younger years for most of us humans.
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