Dear Ram,

I’ve been thinking about compassion lately and need feedback. Compassion itself is born from desire, not so? What may be the subtle difference here?

Ram: I’ll think it through for you. The answer is no. Compassion is free of desire. It is not born. It is the nature of the Self, the recognition that everything and everyone is you. You cannot ‘be’ compassionate. If someone is ‘being’ compassionate, then you are right, it is just a desire. Often unselfaware people with spiritual inclinations want to develop compassion or be compassionate. But it is not something you can do.

Cathy: I could think it through but perhaps you will tell me what you think. Offhand the only difference I can think of between compassion and most other desires is that one is selfless and all others are selfish. A huge difference, ‘though, in the life of a worldly person.

Ram: Actually it is neither selfless or selfish. It is just you, the Self.

Cathy: Once again, forgive my unthinking haste and offhand manner. Your intuition (for that’s what it was) was spot on accurate. I take the dust from your lotus feet. A floodgate has been opened and things are pouring in (or out). I am relieved and happy to have this opportunity to converse with you like this. How did you know? We must be connected at the deepest level?

Ram: I am the Self, not a person who has realized the Self. I have no intuition, though it seems that way from the outside. Even though it is impossible for me to be dissatisfied I’ve always been unhappy that you were not ready ‘to converse like this.’ So I just had to let you go on your merry way. I was sure that at some point, when the lion’s share of your karma had exhausted itself, you would be available to continue our discussion. I can take you as far as you want to go but only if you trust yourself. Trust yourself to do without Cathy and her stuff. It is not a matter of trusting me. I’m an neither trustworthy or not trustworthy. I ask nothing and I take nothing. I simply reveal what is. And the truth does the work. There is no Cathy involved. There is no guru involved.

I hope this helps.

Ram