Nothing in its essence is one way or the other.
Compassion starts with making friends with ourselves.
How do we cultivate the conditions for joy to expand? We train in staying present.
Searching for happiness prevents us from ever finding it.
True compassion does not come from wanting to help out those less fortunate than ourselves but from realizing our kinship with all beings.
The most heartbreaking thing of all is how we cheat ourselves of the present moment.