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Parahitacintā maitrī, paraduḥkhavināśini tathā karuņā | Parasukhatusțirmuditā, paradoșekṣaṇamupekṣā ||
- Bhagavatī Ārādhanā, Vijayodayā Tīkā, p. 816. That is, - To care about others' interests and to cooperate with them is friendship; to think of mitigating others' sufferings is kindness; to be pleased in others' pleasures is said to be happiness and to ignore other's faults are the four volitional dispositions that are essential for pious contemplation.
Comments - Absolutely speaking, it is possible that one may not be fully capable of mitigating others' troubles but one can always be moved by their sufferings and try to mitigate them up to one's capacity. This will result in reduction of attachment of the kind person and the others will be encouraged to struggle themselves. In practice also, good results of kindness are noticed. In practicing kindness others being helped are not considered inferior to the one that helps but an effort is made to remove their poverty and suffering. This itself fills their eyes with an added sparkle.
KINDNESS IS A NATURAL ATTRIBUTE Karuņāe kāraṇam kammam karuņe tti na vuttarı? Karuņāe jīvasahāvassa kammajanidattavirohādo | Akaruņāe kāraṇam kammam vattavvam? Na esa doso sañjama-ghādikammāņam phalabhāveņa tisse abbhuvagamādo
• Sațkhandāgama, Dhavalā Tīkā, 5.5.97; Book 13 pp. 362. Inquiry - Why has this not been said that kindness is prompted by the kindness inducing karma?
Answer - No, such a thing has not been said because kindness or mercy is a natural attribute of the living beings and to say otherwise contradicts this fundamental truth.
Inquiry - Then mercilessness must be induced by karma?
Answer - There is no harm in saying so because mercilessness is induced by restraint destroying karma.
Appendices
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