I was speaking with a friend recently about why/how we should/can forgive and even cultivate compassion for those around us who are deeply immersed in the delusion of the five-sense world and the conditioning that leads to the sense of self.
This conversation was around physically violent ‘discipline’ of a student. Even though I don’t know student or teacher, I felt ill will arise in me toward the teacher inflicting the violence.
It seems to me there is a sutta that addresses this, but I can’t find it. I’ve searched a few key words on this forum and on Sutta Central, to no avail.
I’m wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction.
I thought it had something to do with the three kinds of people (maybe there were four)…those who are completely immersed in delusion, those who understand there is delusion but are not ready to accept, and those who can extricate themselves from delusion.
I’m not sure if this is the sutta you are seeking but reading your post I think it is at least relevant. AN5.161 … "You should focus on the ownership of deeds regarding that individual: ‘This venerable is the owner of their deeds and heir to their deeds. Deeds are their womb, their relative, and their refuge. They shall be the heir of whatever deeds they do, whether good or bad.’ That’s how to get rid of resentment for that individual. " It’s a short sutta ,check it out.
May you be well
I wonder if this sutta is what you’re thinking of, MN21 :
“In the same way, there are these five ways in which others might criticize you. Their speech may be timely or untimely, true or false, gentle or harsh, beneficial or harmful, from a heart of love or from secret hate. When others criticize you, they may do so in any of these ways. If that happens, you should train like this: ‘Our minds will not degenerate. We will blurt out no bad words. We will remain full of sympathy, with a heart of love and no secret hate. We will meditate spreading a heart of love to that individual. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart like the earth to everyone in the world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.’ That’s how you should train.
I am also a bug lover and have been wondering about your title. I used to work for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and as you can imagine, bugs were a big topic.
It’s close, but the sutta I was thinking of speaks directly to delusion. I did enjoy reading this sutta again.
Such an inspiring sutta! Thank you. Such a pleasure to read. I reflect on this teaching often.
I don’t think it’s the one I’m after. The one I’m thinking of states that the reason we must have compassion towards others is that they can’t see reality (in the same way that we ourselves are deluded, though some at least perceive a delusion there even if we may not understand it)…? I hope this makes sense.
You may wish to check out AN4.96:
“Mendicants, these four individuals are found in the world. What four?
One who practices to benefit themselves, but not others;
one who practices to benefit others, but not themselves;
one who practices to benefit neither themselves nor others; and
one who practices to benefit both themselves and others.
A nd AN3.71:
““A greedy person, overcome by greed, intends to hurt themselves, hurt others, and hurt both. They experience mental pain and sadness. When greed has been given up, they don’t intend to hurt themselves, hurt others, and hurt both. They don’t experience mental pain and sadness. A greedy person does bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. When greed has been given up, they don’t do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. A greedy person doesn’t truly understand what’s for their own good, the good of another, or the good of both. When greed has been given up, they truly understand what’s for their own good, the good of another, or the good of both. Greed is a destroyer of sight, vision, and knowledge. It blocks wisdom, it’s on the side of distress, and it doesn’t lead to extinguishment.”
In any case, as you know, there are many, many suttas that offer teachings about compassion in he face of delusion and anger.
I’m thinking it resembles the Buddha’s survey in SN 6.1:
Then the Buddha, understanding the Divinity’s invitation, surveyed the world with the eye of a Buddha, out of his compassion for sentient beings.
And the Buddha saw sentient beings with little dust in their eyes, and some with much dust in their eyes; with keen faculties and with weak faculties, with good qualities and with bad qualities, easy to teach and hard to teach. And some of them lived seeing the danger in the fault to do with the next world, while others did not.
It’s like a pool with blue water lilies, or pink or white lotuses. Some of them sprout and grow in the water without rising above it, thriving underwater. Some of them sprout and grow in the water reaching the water’s surface. And some of them sprout and grow in the water but rise up above the water and stand with no water clinging to them.
How should you get rid of resentment for an individual whose behavior by way of body and speech is impure, and who doesn’t get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time? Suppose a person was traveling along a road, and they were sick, suffering, gravely ill. And it was a long way to a village, whether ahead or behind. And they didn’t have any suitable food or medicine, or a competent carer, or someone to bring them within a village. Another person traveling along the road might see them, and think of them with nothing but compassion, kindness, and sympathy: ‘Oh, may this person get suitable food or medicine, or a competent carer, or someone to bring them within a village. Why is that? So that they don’t come to ruin right here.’ In the same way, at that time you should ignore that individual’s impure behavior by way of speech and body, and the fact that they don’t get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time, and think of them with nothing but compassion, kindness, and sympathy: ‘Oh, may this venerable give up bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and develop good conduct by way of body, speech, and mind. Why is that? So that, when their body breaks up, after death, they’re not reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.’ That’s how to get rid of resentment for that individual.
Reminds me of AN 10.80. Although you don’t personally know the student, the “helpless student” may be more dear than the “abusive teacher”.
“Mendicants, there are these ten ways to get rid of resentment.
What ten?
Thinking: ‘They harmed me, but what can I possibly do?’ you get rid of resentment.
Thinking: ‘They are harming me …’ …
‘They will harm me …’ …
‘They harmed someone I love …’ …
‘They are harming someone I love …’
‘They will harm someone I love …’ … They helped someone I dislike …’ …
‘They are helping someone I dislike …’ …
Thinking: ‘They will help someone I dislike, but what can I possibly do?’ you get rid of resentment.
And you don’t get angry for no reason.
These are the ten ways of getting rid of resentment.”
This is aligned with what I was thinking. Having compassion regardless of the circumstance. I may be mistaken, but the sutta I was thinking of speaks to having compassion because of delusion. I may be conflating this and SN 6.1 that Dogen posted (very dodgy ).
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