Rays of Dharma

Author(s): Chitrabhanu
Publisher: Divine Knowledge Society

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Chapter Two Streams of Compassion
There are two categories of compassion, viz. external and internal. External compassion consists of extending physical or material help to those, who are poor, disabled or handicapped; while internal one consists of one's inclination to bring up those, who spiritually drift downwards. As a person devoid of wealth is considered poor, so is the one who is spiritually at a low level. A poor person may not undertake sinful activity even if he does not get monetary help, but the spiritually downward one is likely to get involved in any sort of activity.
Many a time, wealth becomes the source of sinful activities. If a well-to-do person indulges in immoral or unjust activity, there will be very few to restrain him; while a common man would remain in constraint on account of the fear of being criticized. A millionaire may drink, or indulge in other vices, but people would not try to restrain him, because they come under the influence of his wealth. The enlightened persons therefore feel more compassionate to those in comforts than to the discomforted ones.
It is thus necessary to have greater compassion towards those, whose life-styles remain sinful than those, who are poor or handicapped. A man can move upward even during misery, but a happy one is likely to go continually downward. We generally do not
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