What is compassion?

What is compassion? The dictionary explains:

"Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it."

We humans have the conscience to feel for others' suffering.  Whether we are compassionate or not is another matter.  The level of compassion of a person also depends on this person's spititual interpretation.  Let's take a look at this piece of story which was sent to me recently.  After reading through, you may like to contemplate what compassion is all about.

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Humans can stop and think before they act...if attention is drawn to the pain and suffering of what they are about to do.

This buffalo has changed the life of these butchers - heart-rending news story from China

This buffalo has changed the life of these butchers.

人性的光輝面... The Bright Side of Human Nature ... The buffalo standing still, sad and frightened to tears 水牛淚流不止。Buffalo weeping nonstop.     2011年4月16日 星期六 人性的光輝面...The Bright Side of Human Nature... 主旨： 這頭水牛改變了這些屠宰工的一生This buffalo has changed the lives of these butchers The Buffalo standing still, sad and frightened to tears According to the news release from China’s People’s News, whether people believe it or not, this incident actually happened in Hong Kong. The Weekly World Newsreported that a group of workers were bringing a water buffalo into a packaging factory, ready to slaughter it to make steak and beef stew. When they approached the front door of the slaughterhouse, the sorrowful buffalo suddenly stood still, refusing to move forward, kneeling on its two front knees, and with tears streaming from its eyes. How could the buffalo have already been aware that it was going to be slaughtered, before entering the slaughterhouse? This shows that it was even more alert than many a person. "When I saw what is believed to be a stupid animal actually crying, and when I noticed that its eyes were full of fear and sadness, I could not help but shiver." Extremely shocked by this, butcher Shiu Tat-Nin recalled: "I quickly called other people to come see, and they were as surprised as I was! We pushed and pulled the water buffalo, but it would not move; it just sat there crying constantly." Billy Fong, the boss of the Hong Kong packaging plant said, "Mankind has always thought that animals are not like people who can cry, but this buffalo is really sobbing like a baby!" At that time there were at least a dozen strong, burly men present, but their hearts were softened by the buffalo's crying, and those who were responsible for killing water buffaloes were even more touched by this, tears welling out of their eyes.   Buffalo weeping non-stop When workers from other slaughterhouses heard the news, they also ran to the crying and kneeling buffalo, and the site was soon crowded with people who were astonished at what they saw. Three of them were so shocked that they said that from now on, even when they slaughter other kinds of animals, they will never forget that buffalo’s tears. At the point when a buffalo is crying and people are crying as well, we can all be sure that none of them will kill the buffalo now. Then the question was how to take care of this matter. Finally, they decided to buy the water buffalo with cash, and then they sent it to a Buddhist temple, for the monastic to take good care of it, so that it could be assured of living out its life peacefully. When this decision was made, an amazing thing happened again: "When there was an assurance that the buffalo would not be killed, it finally agreed to move, got up, and it’s here with us." How could a water buffalo understand human words? Shiu said: "Whether you believe it or not, this is really true, although it sounds really incredible." Undoubtedly, this buffalo has changed the lives of these butchers.