Compassion Versus Competition

Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche begins with greetings to the live audience and to viewers on the webcast, then reflects on Buddhism in the West as practitioners move from curiosity to committed practice. She takes the title as her starting point, asking whether someone who competes can have genuine compassion, a paradox; she she says practitioners carry a gap between good intention and action, and she tells of growing up in a monastery. She cautions against compassion that hides a self-agenda, and draws on lojong, the mind training slogans, beginning with the four reminders and with small, practical acts. She asks listeners to bring dharma into daily life, and describes the competitive habits that creep into retreats, such as ringing the bell loudest or counting the most mantras.