We need to deal with difficult situations, with both wisdom as well as compassion, which is definitely a challenge. We need insight into just how to deal with someone’s negative emotions, especially anger, without creating more aggression and harm.
Of course, compassion itself can be very strong and fearless, but it needs a clarity to understand how best to act in these situations. For example, in traditional iconography Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion has one thousand arms to reach out to help, but each hand has an eye. He understands in each situation how to act most opportunely so as not to make it even worse. And that’s why we need both wisdom and compassion in these situations.
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
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