Walpola Rahula tells us that, "According to Buddhism, for a man to be perfect, there are two qualities that he should develop equally: compassion (karuna) on the one side, and wisdom (panna) on the other." Among the nine "Basic Points Unifying the Theravada and the Mahayana," that Bhante Rahula presented to the first convening of the World Buddhist Sangha Council in Sri Lanka in 1967, he included this: "Following the example of the Buddha, who is the embodiment of Great Compassion (maha-karuna) and Great Wisdom (maha-prajna), we consider that the purpose of life is to develop compassion for all living beings without discrimination and to work for their good, happiness, and peace; and to develop wisdom leading to the realization of Ultimate truth." A popular Buddhist saying has it that compassion and wisdom are like the two wings of a bird. Without both wings, the bird cannot fly; without compassion and wisdom, a person cannot attain nirvana. Most Buddhist teachings can be viewed as training manuals that teach various techniques, such as different forms of meditation, for generating compassion and wisdom.
---The Great Compassion: Buddhism and Animal Rights, by Norm Phelps---
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