In the profound teachings of the great Gelek Rimpoche, we are reminded of the essential nature of our journey towards spiritual awakening. The path is illuminated by the twin lights of love and compassion, guiding us towards realizing our interconnectedness with all beings.
What does love want? Love wants for all sentient beings to have happiness and its causes.
What does love do? Love works for the happiness of all sentient beings.
Love, as described by Gelek Rimpoche, is an active force, not a passive state. It is a dynamic movement towards the well-being of all, seeing beyond the superficial to recognize the deep causes of happiness. True love in the Buddhist context is not just an emotion, but an enlightened understanding that motivates us to work tirelessly for the happiness of all beings. This love is expansive and inclusive, transcending personal attachments to embrace universal well-being.
What does compassion want?
Compassion wants for all sentient beings to be free of suffering and its causes.
What does compassion do? Compassion works for the freedom of all sentient beings.
Compassion, as elucidated by Rimpoche, goes hand in hand with love. It is the profound understanding and feeling of the suffering of others and the earnest desire to alleviate it. Compassion is not mere sympathy; it is a profound recognition of the interconnectedness of all life, compelling us to act to relieve the suffering of all beings. It recognizes that the causes of suffering are deeply rooted and works towards uprooting these causes, thereby liberating all sentient beings from the chains of suffering.
In the wisdom of Gelek Rimpoche, love and compassion are inseparable and integral to each other, woven together by the fabric of wisdom. Love provides the aspiration for all beings to attain happiness, while compassion drives the desire to remove their suffering. Wisdom provides the means to achieve the fruition of those deep altruistic desires.
As we reflect on the teachings of Gelek Rimpoche, let us commit to weaving the qualities of love, compassion and wisdom into the tapestry of our daily lives. By doing so, we not only transform ourselves but also contribute to the creation of a more compassionate and loving world. May we all walk this path with diligence and joy, bringing light to the darkness of suffering and guiding all beings towards the ultimate liberation of enlightenment.