Rev. Kris Ladusau, whom I consider a spiritual friend, is director of the Oklahoma (City) Dharma Center. She is part of a Japanese Buddhist lineage called Rissho Kosei Kai. Rev. Ladusau's newsletter writings always leave me with something to reflect upon more deeply. She recently wrote about the importance of uniting wisdom with compassion and outlines the difference between compassion and enabling. Here's her wisdom:
"Wisdom and compassion are both needed to live a healthy life and interact with others in healthy ways. Respect for our Buddha-Nature and that of others requires a balanced approach. Compassion is having one's hand ready to grasp the hand of another reaching out for additional help to their own efforts, but wisdom inhibits reaching down to lift up someone making no personal effort or seeing any need to be elsewhere. Individuals must themselves choose (consciously or unconsciously) to leave a situation. If we try to force someone into a state of consciousness they are not ready for, we are doing a disservice to both of us. It is important to understand the difference between compassion and enabling."
"Wisdom and compassion are both needed to live a healthy life and interact with others in healthy ways. Respect for our Buddha-Nature and that of others requires a balanced approach. Compassion is having one's hand ready to grasp the hand of another reaching out for additional help to their own efforts, but wisdom inhibits reaching down to lift up someone making no personal effort or seeing any need to be elsewhere. Individuals must themselves choose (consciously or unconsciously) to leave a situation. If we try to force someone into a state of consciousness they are not ready for, we are doing a disservice to both of us. It is important to understand the difference between compassion and enabling."
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