Question 70: IN BUDDHISM, COMPASSION ENCOMPASSES ALL BEINGS, EVEN PLANTS. HOWEVER, IN REALITY, THERE ARE VARIOUS LEVELS OF COMPASSION WE SHOULD PRACTICE, RANGING FROM SMALL TO LARGE. COULD YOU EXPLAIN THIS IN MORE DETAIL?

Answer: We have various levels of love that expand gradually:

Loving only oneself

Loving only one’s immediate family
Loving extended family and friends
Loving colleagues and comrades
Loving the surrounding community
Loving one’s country
Loving humanity
Loving all sentient beings

Looking at this ladder of love, we can see that someone who loves only themselves is extremely selfish and will likely lack a sense of responsibility toward their family, community, and society. It is right to cultivate oneself, but this self-cultivation should be aimed at developing the ability to contribute to the world, not at selfishly loving oneself.

Loving one’s immediate family is considered a basic moral and legal obligation. Someone who cannot love their own family is severely lacking in basic morality.

As the scope of love widens, it reflects an increase in moral development and is highly commendable, as it shows a growing ability to care for others beyond one’s immediate circle.

The Author

JANNA is the pen name of a certain monk who does not wish to use his real name. He is likely mature enough to understand that fame, wealth, and glory are as fleeting as morning mist.

In Pali, “JANNA” means purity, so it’s unclear which country he’s from. However, he seems to have studied the Nikaya scriptures.

Although he writes about Buddhism, he appears to desire unity with other religions to contribute to the cause of world peace. He attempts to demonstrate how differences can complement one another…