"There is a difference in compassion between the Path of Sages and the Path of Pure Land. The compassion in the Path of Sages is expressed through pity, sympathy, and care for all beings, but rare is it that one can help another as completely as one desires.

The compassion in the Path of Pure Land is to quickly attain Buddhahood, saying the nembutsu, and with the true heart of compassion and love save all beings completely as we desire.

In this life no matter how much pity and sympathy we may feel for others, it is impossible to help another as we truly wish; thus our compassion is inconsistent and limited. Only the saying of nembutsu manifests the complete and never ending compassion which is true, real, and sincere."

                                                                                        --Tannisho IV

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

Tannisho, Chapter IV reveals to us that true compassion does not have its source in our limited, empty and defiled selves. This is the attitude of many who practice the Path of the Sages. Their compassion is generated by the fictitious self and therefore is tainted by self-centeredness and self-interest.  Essentially this form of compassion relies on self-power. On the contrary, through the recitation of the Nembutsu, the compassion of Path of the Pure Land rests on the Mind of Buddha (Buddhahood) which is boundless and unhindered by the bubble of the counterfeit self. This form of compassion relies on Other Power.

 

In other words, the Nembutsu opens our hearts and minds to this real compassion, which is not bounded by any self, and as a result we attain the mind of Buddhahood. Thereby, we are able to serve others with the heart based on the true, real and sincere (which is Buddha) and not by the minds and heart of our transitory, empty and false self. As a result, we serve suffering beings not out of our self-interest or by what we feel is right or moral but our actions transcend any notion of duality between the sufferer and the Bodhisattva. Our compassion becomes spontaneous, free and true. We do compassionate actions because simply it is in our nature to do so.

 

The Path of the Pure Land enables us to be a conduit of this Great Compassion, which is unlimited, pristine and sincere. Therefore we are better able to serve all suffering beings.