COMPASSION tempers our mind.

All living beings desire happiness and do not want to suffer. There are many ways that we use to avoid unnecessary suffering to us in their surface and deeper forms. But people - almost the only ones in the earlier stages of life begins to apply certain techniques to avoid suffering later. Throughout his life, people, religion practitioners and non-practitioners, in different ways tried to ease some kinds of suffering and eliminate others, sometimes even agreeing to endure pain, to prevent more suffering in the future and to get their share of happiness.

Everyone is trying to eliminate the superficial suffering. But there is a whole class of techniques aimed at ending the suffering at a deeper level - at least alleviate the suffering in future lives, and then to a complete cessation of all forms of suffering, pain as delivering ourselves and all beings. This class is more serious techniques and spiritual practice.

These techniques involve changes in behavior and, consequently, for spiritual practices must first properly set up your thoughts. These techniques are called in Sanskrit "Dharma", which means "that which holds". This means that by changing their wrong behavior, we are freed from a certain level of suffering and thereby "restrained himself" from this type of suffering. Spiritual practice protects "holds" ourselves and others from suffering.

In the first stage, we are aware that they themselves are in a vicious circle of birth and death, and begin to make efforts to "restrain himself" from suffering. Then, we extend this awareness to others and develop a compassion that is, devote ourselves to spare others from suffering. The fact that one single creature begins to take care of many, there is a practical benefit. By focusing on the welfare of other beings, we ourselves become happier. Compassion reduces the fear of his own pain, and increases our inner strength. It gives us a sense of confidence in what we are able to achieve their goals. Compassion gives us courage.

Let me give you one small example. Recently, during a trip to Bodh Gaya, I aggravated a chronic intestinal disease. On the way to the hospital I was tormented such severe abdominal pain, that I broke out in a cold sweat. The car drove past the mountains vultures (here at one time gave the teachings of the Buddha), where people live in abject poverty. Bihar generally poor, and that its area is particularly poor. From the window of the car, I did not even see that the children were in school or out of school. Everywhere only poverty, but the disease. I very clearly remember a little boy suffering from polio. He walked on crutches, on his feet he had rusted metal struts. It was quite obvious that he is alone, and no one cares about it. Looking at him, I came to the thrill. A little further on, I saw the old man shook his clothes instead of some tattered rag. He lay near a tea shop, as if he had left there to die.

When we arrived at the hospital, seen on the road I was still standing in front of me. I thought bitterly that so many people around me, and everything is taken care of me, and those poor people do not have anyone to help them. At the same time my own suffering is pushed aside. Although physically I was still very bad, my thoughts were occupied by others.

So although my body and suffered pain, which did not allow me to sleep (in the intestinal wall opened ulcer), fear and discomfort are no longer tormented my mind. If I had to concentrate on their own problems, it would only aggravate my sufferings. This small example from my personal experience shows how compassionate attitude helps us to himself, to some extent, by suppressing bodily pain experienced by us, and taking mental stress, even if other beings our compassion may not bring immediate benefits.

Compassion tempers our mind, and this newfound courage to us makes us more calm. When we think of the suffering of an infinite number of living beings, our own sufferings become less important.

© Dalai Lama