The teachings of Ajahn Suchart
14 September 2023
“Metta means friendliness. Compassion is being empathetic.”
Question: “Can you talk a little bit about compassion and mettā?”
Than Ajahn: “Mettā means friendliness – being friendly, being kind, looking at everyone as your friend, not your enemy. Compassion is being empathetic – when you see other people in need, you want to help them getting rid of their suffering. This is called, ‘compassion.’ The way to do these is not by meditating.
When you meditate, you’re just teaching yourself and reminding yourself that you have to be friendly and compassionate. The actual doing is when you’re meeting people. For example, when you see a beggar, and if you are compassionate, you give him some money. When you see an old person walking on the street and needs some help, you help that person. This is showing your kindness, your friendliness. When you do this, you will feel the result from your compassion and your friendliness. You have to do the action, not just thinking about it.
When you meditate, you’re just reminding yourself that you have to be friendly and you have to be compassionate. You have to actually do it when you’re meeting people or animals. Like when you see a dog, you don’t kick it. You want to be kind to all beings. When you do the action, then you will get the result. By just thinking about it, you don’t do any action yet.
However, you need to think ahead of time so that you can be reminded that you have to be kind and friendly. So, when you meet people, you smile at them. You don’t give a stone face. Seeing you smiling, people will feel better. This is giving friendliness or mettā. If you see a person needs something and when you give that person the thing he needs, this is compassion."
Question: “I do a lot of Dhamma teaching and try to share whatever things I can give. But I always feel that it’s not enough. What should I do?”
Than Ajahn: “Not enough for you or not enough for the person you give?”
Question: “For me and for them.”
Than Ajahn: “You just have to give more. If you think it’s not enough, then you give more. If you give one thousand baht and you feel it’s not enough, then give ten thousand baht.”
Question: “The problem is I don’t have the resources.”
Than Ajahn: “Give all that you can. Then, you will feel good. This is the cause and effect. If you want more, you have to give more. Just imagine when you’re giving one thousand baht and ten thousand baht, how would you feel? It would be different, right? When you give more, you have to give up more. You’ll feel happier because you felt that you’ve done a lot more. This is just basic.
If you don’t feel you have given enough yet, then give more. Give until you can no longer give. You give to the person that makes you feel good. Sometimes if you give to some persons that you don’t like, you don’t feel that good feeling. In giving to charity, you can choose the kind of charity you want to do give.
Some people like giving to schools, so they go and give charity to school. Some people like giving to churches or temples, so they go to churches or temples. Some people like to give to hospitals, so they give charity to hospitals. This is a matter of choice. We have different preferences. So, you do the kind of charity that makes you feel good, feel the best."
Dhamma for the Asking,
Layperson from India, Dec 7, 2017.
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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