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Compassion : Compassion should govern our attitude towards those who are less fortunate than we are. It should extend to the erring and even to the criminal.
After all, when Jainism believes that living beings often suffer because of their past misdeeds, does it not behove a true Jain to extend compassion rather than criticism to one who pays for his misdeeds of the past ? : Equanimity is more of an introspective virtue. It governs our attitude towards ourselves, irrespective of the world around us. We achieve a certain balance of mind that remains unruffled in spite of the vicissitudes of life. Whether the world treats us well or ill, whether we reap a reward for our good' deeds or not, whether the pathless wanderers pay heed or not to the path we try to show them, we should maintain a serenity of the mind that is bound to bring contentment in its wake.
When. a tiny pebble is dropped into the still waters of a pool, soon it is filled with ripples. It is in the very nature of water to break into ripples. But when the pool is frozen, even if you drop a handful of pebbles in it, there is hardly any disturbance in its smooth, hard surface.
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