the surrogate compassion of an arrogant dharmite

Apprentice I am used to hearing teachings which continually emphasise compassion—and since I became an apprentice I have been aware that teachings on compassion are not exactly absent—but they are not very much emphasised. Is there a reason for that?

Ngak’chang Rinpoche Yes. Changchub sems (bodhicitta / active compassion / empathetic appreciation) is regarded as fundamental. From the point of view of Vajrayana—one should already have the ground of changchub sem. One cannot practise Vajrayana unless one in imbued with changchub sem.

Khandro Déchen In our teaching there is probably more emphasis on behaviour than on developing compassion for all beings.

Ngak’chang Rinpoche I once read an interview with Gelek Rinpoche—the Gélug Lama who became the Lama of Allen Ginsberg—in which he expressed concern about the effectiveness of practises of developing changchub sem. He said that he has often met cases where these practises seemed to have no effect at all – as ‘all sentient beings’ were a conveniently abstract group for whom one could feel compassion theoretically. He said that the test of this compassion lay in the ordinary people who inhabited one’s life, and that it was here that most people failed the test. This is not to say that Gelek Rinpoche was critical of the essential core of these traditional teachings and practises of developing compassion – but that he felt that attention needed to be given with respect to whether they were functioning in the case of the individual.

Khandro Déchen You see . . . in order to have an empathetic appreciation for somebody else, you have to be somewhat groundless—at least. If you have not tasted the groundlessness of emptiness you could convert changchub sem into egomania.

Ngak’chang Rinpoche: You could fantasise the surrogate compassion of an arrogant dharmite. We have met them—people who talk about compassion but who are—to all intents and purposes—sociopathic. Changchub sem arises from emptiness where there is nothing to hold onto for support, nothing with which to work. In emptiness there is no gain or loss, no praise or blame, no meeting and parting, no hope or fear. Because these eight dualistic propensities are absent, there is no ‘me project’ and therefore no ulterior motive.

Khandro Déchen Compassion and emptiness cannot function independently. That is why we emphasise the ngöndro of the Four Naljors.