We continue to explore mindfulness of thoughts and emotions, including the three sets of instructions in the text, and mindfulness of difficult thoughts and emotions (and what to do when mindfulness is very hard or impossible).
There are two great proximate causes for compassion: suffering and wisdom. Suffering opens the heart and wisdom lets us see the fragile impermanent nature of all things.
Q&A at end of talk
The near enemy of compassion is pity; the far energy is cruelty. But more often the obstacles to true compassion are wanting to fix rather than be with suffering.