Questions to Master Deshimaru

Question

Saint Paul said the whole of creation is suffering and awaiting redemption. What does that mean from the viewpoint of compassion?

Answer

Tibetan Buddhism is always talking about compassion, but wisdom is necessary too. One without the other cannot be genuine. You must know how to combine compassion with wisdom. A father and mother need compassion in bringing up their child, and wisdom, too, which teaches them how to measure out verity and gentleness, tenderness. I like the example of the kite: to make it fly properly you must not curb it too sharply and you must not let it have too much slack. Balance is important. Buddha's compassion is for all people and does not distinguish between rich and poor. It does not have to do with solving political problems and wars. Religion saves people on a higher plane. The problem is to change people's minds. What I am talking about is not a political revolution but a revolution inside our mind. If people do not change inside themselves, nothing can change. The crisis in our civilization now is caused by the fact that most people's minds are not normal. If the mind changes, civilization changes. Changing minds could solve the problem of oil shortages. People would attend sesshins instead of watching television. Your behavior influences the behavior of other people.