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Eli Franco
notably, attachment that is intimately connected with compassion) is meritorious.
The proponent distinguishes: Not all compassion is meritorious, nor does all compassion involve affection/attachment. As an example for the former he adduces the case-alas, also nowadays not uncommon-of someone eating meat and feeling sorry for the slaughtered animal. As examples for the latter he mentions compassion towards someone who has fallen on the road, the weak, the poor, the injured, etc.
As is often the case with the Turfan fragments, only a small portion of the text remains; nevertheless enough of the discussion has survived to enable discernment of the respective positions of the proponent and opponent.
can be interpreted in this connection as meritorious or appertaining to right conduct. Note also that the scribe consistently spells dharmika rather than dharmika.
