Compassion and Wisdom

According to Buddhism, for a person to be perfected, there are two qualities she or he should develop equally: compassion and wisdom.

Walpola Rahula, at the World Buddhist Sangha Council in Sri Lanka in 1967, said, "Following the example of the Buddha, who is the embodiment of Great Compassion and Great Wisdom, 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."

There's a very popular Buddhist teaching that compares compassion and wisdom to the two wings of a bird. Without both wings the bird cannot fly. Without compassion and wisdom, in equal measure, a person cannot attain Awakening, or Nirvana.

Most Buddhist teachings can be viewed as training manuals that teach various forms of meditation and other techniques for generating wisdom and compassion.