Compassion--The Diamond Sutra

In Chapter 23 of The Diamond Sutra, the Buddha nicely summarizes what I’ve been trying to say in my last two posts about self and other—namely, that there is no distinction between self and other, and that in order to love ourselves and be happy, we must love our neighbors and love our enemies. I’ll let the words speak for themselves:

“When someone is selflessly charitable, they remember that there is no distinction between one’s self and the selfhood of others. Thus one practices charity by giving not only gifts, but through kindness and sympathy. Practice kindness and sympathy and charity without attachment—that is, without recognizing distinction between self and other—and you can become fully enlightened.”