COMPASSION IS THE FOUNDATION OF BUDDHIST PRACTICE
Master Jun Hong Lu: Compassion is the key that unlocks the gate of the dharma. How is it possible for someone, who is devoid of compassion, able to set foot on the gate of the dharma? The Buddha once said, “Compassion is the foundation of Buddhist practice”. What does the word ‘foundation’ mean here?
It refers to the spiritual root, which is the Buddha’s mind. As a Buddhist practitioner, do you have a heart that takes pity on others? First and foremost, you must have sympathy for everyone, especially for yourself because by doing so, you will cultivate a compassionate heart.
Conversely, if you despise everyone that you see, thinking that you are head and shoulders above the rest, how is it possible for you to hold others in high regard, let alone having a heart of compassion?
Guan Yin Bodhisattva will never view us with disdain. This was why She came to the human realm to liberate us from suffering. The same goes to the Living Buddha Jigong and Shakyamuni Buddha who came to the human realm to deliver us from afflictions. Not only did the Buddha renounce the comfort of His aristocratic life, but He also endured countless trials and tribulations for the sake of sentient beings. These are all depictions of ‘compassion being the foundation of Buddhist practice’.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 6 Chapter 32