Is compassion a one-way traffic?

Many times a question comes to my mind whether compassion is one-way traffic. Why is it so that the world is so much full of consumers who just want to buy and accumulate everything for their pleasure? There are few producers who want to contribute to society. Why these consumers are just happy running after the pleasures and is it the duty of only the producers to not only produce for the consumption of the consumers but also to have compassion for them?

Kauravas are having all the pleasures. They are the ones living in the palace. Pandavas have been deprived of their due rights as per the law of the land by cheating. Kauravas have tried many times to kill them. Yet when Mahabharata is going to start why is it so that Arjna has compassion on Kauravas while Kauravas have not even iota of that compassion? In fact, the greater question is whether this is compassion at all.

I feel that one of the best answers to this question is given by Krishna in Geeta. This is the beginning of Krishna's discourse:

अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे।

गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः।।2.11।।

2.11 अशोच्यान् those who should not be grieved for? अन्वशोचः hast grieved? त्वम् thou? प्रज्ञावादान् words of wisdom? च and? भाषसे speakest? गतासून् the dead? अगतासून् the living? च and? न अनुशोचन्ति grieve not? पण्डिताः the wise.

2.11 The Blessed Lord said Thou hast grieved for those that should not be grieved for, yet thou speakest words of wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead.

Krishna tells so clearly that one should not mourn for the living or dead either. Isn't this statement quite contrary to the concept of compassion? Definitely not. Krishna says that one should not worry about anything, whether living or dead. Compassion is quite different from worry. Compassion is direct connection between two "I" operating in this world through two different bodies. Compassion is different from sympathy that's a function of the mind. One's mind may mirror the emotions being felt by the other. That is sympathy and is quite different from compassion.

We all keep operating in this world in 3 different modes. In a solid state of the matter, boundary lines dividing the two persons are quite clear. Yet two solid objects may mix together like two powders mixing with each other. In a liquid state, two liquids mix with each other to lose their individual identity quite significantly. However, there may be some liquids that may not merge together like water and oil. In a gas state of matter, all gases mix together well. However, with the advancement of science, we know that this mixing of solids, liquids, or gases is not connected at the core. At the core, the atoms maintain their individuality.

Compassion is that connection at the core. That connection can not be established between two atoms. Rather this connection is possible only between the consciousness operating through the two atoms. Till the consciousness in any of the atoms is fixated on the protons, neutrons, and electrons, there can not be compassion. The moment that consciousness becomes aware of its true nature away from these physical manifestations, there is compassion. Compassion is not between forms, rather it is between the consciousness.

Now in this context, the message of Krishna needs a relook. Krishna is saying that Kauravas have lost complete connection with the divine. Since they have lost almost complete awareness of the divine and are not able to recall the same in spite of many reminders, they have become fixated like dead. The consciousness needs to be free of the form to reinvent itself. The act of Arjuna killing the Kauravas is an act of compassion because it will free the soul of Kauravas from the body and mind that is not worth living.

For a person who considers this body to be the center of the universe, this is very difficult to digest. However, if one examines it as being consciousness, it makes complete sense. Compassion is not with the body or the mind. It's the connection between the consciousness operating through different bodies and the mind. The kaurava's mind is completely disconnected from that consciousness and therefore that is not in a position to have compassion for the Pandavas. Pandavas are trying to establish that connection with the Kauravas like air trying to connect to an airtight jar. All their efforts are in vain.

If this disconnected form is allowed to rule the world, it will make the entire world dead and unaware. That is the reason Krishna has to tell Arjuna to kill Kauravas. If somebody is obsessed with one's body or mind, it's not an act of compassion to just keep fulfilling the demands of the obsessed one to consume more and more like a fool. One should try to make that person aware of the divine within. However, if despite significant efforts on this front, there is no progress, then one has to leave and move on. It's foolish to keep feeding the self-obsessed. That makes such persons even more demanding and adds fuel to their fire of self-obsession.