Petty Compassion and Affection Only Obstruct the Path

Beings who have emerged from the Three Evil Paths are born from craving and desire. The karmic retribution of craving in future lives mostly leads to the path of hungry ghosts to repay karmic results; those with slight craving may become humans or ascend to the heavens. Craving belongs to the nature of water—water flows downward, and downward means the Three Evil Paths. The Buddha spoke of this in the Lengyan Sutra; one may consult the sutra for verification. Some people vigorously encourage Buddhist practitioners to crave romantic love, claiming it is to form karmic connections. Connections are indeed formed, but as for whether they are wholesome or unwholesome—according to the Buddha’s teaching—there are no good outcomes, only the cycle of rebirth in the six paths, with the afflictions of birth and death.

There was a person who, shortly after becoming a monastic, was entangled by his girlfriend and returned to lay life. He then renounced again, only to be entangled once more and forced back. This repeated seven times, causing him immense distress. When you seek liberation, she insists on binding you, preventing your liberation—truly a karmic adversary across lifetimes.

When one seeks purity but is ceaselessly entangled by others, that torment is excruciating and unbearable.

Some may argue that Bodhisattvas should extend compassion to all beings, and since spouses and children are also beings, they deserve even greater compassion. However, compassion must be appropriate and exercised in moderation. If one directs compassion exclusively toward one’s own family, relatives, and karmic connections, expending all time and energy on a very few individuals—individuals whose spiritual capacity may not be sufficiently developed—thereby neglecting one’s own path of cultivation, then it is not worthwhile.

A Bodhisattva’s compassion should focus primarily on benefiting the majority. By concentrating on diligent practice, one will ultimately bring benefit to immeasurable family members, relatives, and karmic connections across countless lifetimes, including parents, spouses, and children throughout infinite kalpas. One should not devote primary energy solely to the present spouse, child, father, or mother. Compared to great love, petty affection is insignificant; being bound by petty love hinders the path of cultivation. A Bodhisattva’s vision should be far-reaching and vast. One must vow to illuminate all beings throughout the world with the light of wisdom—a heart of great compassion is the true Bodhisattva heart. Petty affection and narrow love only obstruct the path and should be swiftly abandoned.