‘Should I dedicate my life to alleviating the suffering of others? How should I balance concern for others with concern for myself? Is there a middle way?’
Effectively, they’re all part of the same question, and the only reply I could offer was:
‘Why do you want to alleviate suffering?’
This isn’t as simple as it sounds, and it leads to some interesting issues. What is the difference, for example, between compassion and sentimentality? Unless there is a firm understanding of that consideration, I don’t see how anybody could know where the middle road should lie. Dedicating one’s life to alleviating suffering without first understanding that one could lead to lunacy or suicide. And the end of the line on this question is the same as it is on all serious questions:
‘What is life? Does it have a purpose? Is there a concept of reality beyond the most obvious?’
I have my own views, of course, but I’m not here to preach. All I’ll say is that in the absence of an answer to the ultimate question, I don’t see how anybody can be certain of anything.
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