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Metaphysics, Ethics and Spiritual Development
person suffering from pain. Thus at the root of the feeling of compassion is the attitude of mineness towards all beings or the attitude of one's identity with all beings. Awakening of the desire in the heart of some saint to rescue living beings from the miseries of worldly existence is also a case of compassion. The enlightened great saints and the omniscient pure perfected men are permeated through and through with compassion encompassing in its fold all living beings. This is the reason why they are described as the Compassionate par excellence.
Feeling of Neutrality (Madhyasthya-bhāvanā)
It is not on every occasion and at every place that positive feeling or attitude prove effective; for only too often the maintenance of an attitude of mere neutrality or indifference is of use in rendering steady the vows like non-violence, etc. So one is instructed to practise the feeling or attitude of neutrality. Neutrality means indifference or standing aloof. Thus when one comes across a person with an utterly idiotic mental background or a person who is incapable of receiving into his head even a single salutary subject-matter-moreover, when all attempts at reforming him ultimately comes to utter nought-then it is only worthwhile that an attitude of neutrality be maintained by one in relation to such a person. Hence the referential object of the attitude of neutrality is a person unworthy of instruction—that is, an incapable person. If one has cultivated the attitude of mineness towards all beings or of oneness with all beings, then alone one can remain purely neutral towards an unworthy (intellectually perverse, wicked and idiotic) person, not entertaining any feeling of cruelty, hatred or ill-will, just as one remains purely neutral towards one's beloved person even though he is unworthy.
Just as a miserable person is the referential object of compassion, even so an intellectually perverse and idiotic person is also the referential object of compassion-hidden compassion. The feeling of neutrality that rouses in one's mind towards an unworthy, intellectually perverse and idiotic person is nothing but the hidden feeling of compassion. At this juncture we should bear in mind that just as we do not feel hurt when a child, a friend or beloved person disrespects or insults us even so a wise man endowed with mind purified and enlightened by the constant practice of the feelings of friendliness, etc., never feels insulted even when he is insulted by others. For a saintly person whose heart is saturated thoroughly with the feeling of universal brotherhood, a meritorious person
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