THE SAD SMILE OF COMPASSION

There are hundreds of thousands of people who need your help, which makes you feel sad, so sad. …That sadness is a key point, ladies and gentlemen. In the back of your head, you hear a beautiful flute playing, because you are so sad. At the same time, the melody cheers you up in spite of being sad and devastated, there is something lovely taking place.

There is some smile, some beauty. In the Shambhala world, we call that daringness. In the Buddhist language, we call it compassion. Daringness is sympathetic to oneself. … there is a sense of big open mind in dealing with others, which is beautiful, wonderful.

-Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche