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Identifying with Nothing,
Compassionate with Everything
The basic virtue for any hu- Do you know in Tamil Nadu one
man being, whether it is a man People being of the greatest titles that used to
or a woman, is to be true to one- be conferred to great heroes is
self. When somebody is really sympathetic to “One who has slain a thousand
true to himself, then functioning elephants,” like Paramvirchakra.
in the world is just a question of certain causes, The late forest brigand Veerap-
adjustment—adjusting to the pan had slain almost 500 - 600
situations that we have chosen with certain people, elephants, so was he close to be-
to live with. What is virtue? Only coming the greatest Tamilian
when you are truly empty, you is not compassion. ever? No. Our values and virtues
are virtuous; otherwise, if you have changed. Today, if you kill a
are mind, you are never virtuous. When you are thousand elephants you are a
Your idea of virtue is if you do criminal who has to be put to
this, it is virtue, if you do not do passionate about death, but a thousand years ago,
that, it is something else—this is if you killed a thousand ele-
not life virtue, this is social vir- everything, when your phants, you were the hero of the
tue. Society’s virtues are differ- highest order. So society’s virtues
ent, they serve society; life vir- passion has become are biased against life.
tues serve life. I am somebody When you are not identified
who serves life, not society, so all encompassing, with anything, you will be abso-
my virtues are of life. lutely virtuous; only then you
Virtue means that which then you are are truly capable of compassion.
takes you beyond in a certain When you are compassionate,
way. You can go beyond only if compassionate. you are always virtuous. People
you are no more a limited being. being sympathetic to certain
If you are a vast emptiness with- causes, with certain people, is
in you, every thought that you not compassion. When you are
get, every emotion that you get, every feeling that you passionate about everything, when your passion has
have, if you are not really associated with it, that is become all encompassing, then you are compassion-
virtue. If you are identified with your sensations, ate. It is not about having a little pity or sympathy for
thoughts, opinions or emotions, then you cannot be something. Compassion is always the highest virtue,
virtuous because you will be biased with life. If you are and compassion is not possible if you are identified
truly virtuous, you must be beyond all bias. with this or that. Only when you are able to just look
When you are identified with something, either at life as life, only then you can be compassionate, and
body or mind or emotions, there cannot be any virtue. to be compassionate is the highest virtue.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is a visionary humanitarian and a prominent spiritual leader who is equally at home addressing the World Economic Forum,
working with heads of state, consulting executives of multinational corporations, or talking to hardcore criminals in prisons. He serves as a reminder that the
inner sciences are not esoteric philosophies from an outdated past, but a contemporary science vitally relevant to our times. Readers are welcome to send queries
about spiritual or worldly matters to Sadhguru@ishafoundation.org. For more information on Isha Foundation, please visit www.ishafoundation.org

112 • SEPTEMBER • 2010 Khabar Magazine