Quote by Dalai Lama, The Dalai Lama, A Po

Another kind of love and compassion is not based on something appearing beautiful or nice, but based on the fact that the other person, just like oneself, wants happiness and does not want suffering and indeed has every right to be happy and to overcome suffering. On such a basis, we feel a sense of responsibility, a sense of closeness toward that being. That is true compassion. This is because the compassion is based on reason, notjust on emotional feeling. As a consequence, it does not matter what the other's attitude is, whether negative, or positive. What matters is that it is a human being, a sentient being that has the experience of pain and pleasure. There is no reason not to feel compassion so long as it is a sentient being.

Summary

This quote emphasizes that true compassion and love are not solely based on superficial judgments of beauty or likeability. Instead, it arises from recognizing and understanding that every individual, like oneself, desires happiness and freedom from suffering. It highlights the importance of taking responsibility and feeling connected to others based on this shared desire for happiness. True compassion transcends personal feelings and is grounded in rational thought, acknowledging the inherent worth of every human being regardless of their attitude. The quote asserts that as long as someone is a sentient being capable of experiencing pain and pleasure, there is every reason to extend compassion towards them.