On compassion and bodhicitta, something I wrote elsewhere:

Since childhood, I have felt a deep connection to Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva and Ārya Tārā, both embodiments of compassion. I cannot forget the dreams, miraculous visions, and encounters I've had with them, all carrying the message to practice compassion and help others. I am always moved when I think of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, not only for their teachings but also for their compassion. It is my sincere wish that all sentient beings be liberated from samsara. I also hope that everyone can embody the qualities of both compassion and wisdom.

In Buddhism, it is said that wisdom and compassion are like the two wings of a bird. A bird needs both wings to fly straight, and similarly, the path to the Middle Way (between the extremes of inherent existence and nothingness) requires the wings of wisdom and compassion. Wisdom prevents us from falling into the extreme of inherent existence by realizing the absence of inherentness, while compassion prevents us from falling into the extreme of nihilism by recognizing suffering and wishing for it to cease. When one actualizes their true nature, compassion naturally arises upon realizing that beings suffer due to not recognizing their true nature.

As John Tan said in 2014, 'After you have glimpses into twofold [emptiness], start to look into compassion. Take small steps at a time and start to understand what compassion means… like practicing anatta and emptiness. …You must have enough rest, stabilize twofold [emptiness], and develop your compassion and sense of reverence towards things step by step. It will bring you to a new height. I am having zero concern of anatta and twofold… it is so natural and relaxed, with added new sources of joyful energy, don’t know from where. Like a brilliant ball of light radiating with joyous flow of energy. …If self-sprung appearance is natural [state] and [is] liberating but lacks a reverent and compassionate heart, then you must practice metta [loving-kindness].'

It should however be understood that the traditional term, relative Bodhicitta in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism also implies the aspiration and intention to attain Buddhahood (full awakening) for the benefit of all sentient beings, and is not merely the practice of compassion. Ultimate Bodhicitta is the insight into emptiness. Both are indispensable components on the path to full awakening (Buddhahood). As mentioned by Acarya Malcolm Smith:

First, one generates bodhicitta, the desire to liberate all sentient beings from samsara. This has two aspects, ultimate and relative. The relative aspect refers to the aspiration, and then practicing the six perfections. Ultimate bodhicitta means practicing śamatha and vipaśyanā.

One practices these two bodhicitta together, until one realizes emptiness. This is the first bodhisattva bhumi. One continues to practice, until the practice of vipaśyanā has eradicated all traces of affliction (desire, hatred, and ignorance). This happens conventionally, at the seventh bhumi. Ultimately, has eradicated all traces of grasping to personal and phenomena identity, and one attains the omniscience of buddhahood, this happens when one transitions from being a tenth stage bodhisattva to buddhahood. A buddha is a totally realized person. There is no other kind of totally or fully realized person.”

In Mahayana Buddhism, it is essential to give rise to Bodhicitta, the aspiration to attain Buddhahood for the sake of all beings, and to make the Bodhisattva vow to lead all sentient beings across to the shore of liberation. I appreciate Albert Hong’s response to someone who asked, ‘How can I get over knowing that all my loved ones may reincarnate for many lifetimes and suffer due to their ignorance? It's like watching your child touch the fire, burn, and not let go. I feel this for everyone, but it's even harder for my loved ones.' Albert replied, ‘You make a vow to create interdependent connections with all those beings whom you love and are connected with—through seeing, touching, feeling, smelling, etc. And by your hand, your personal mindstream alone, you will come back to help them cultivate virtuous minds and realize wisdom for their liberation. You also make the vow for yourself to develop the capacity to force continuity across lifetimes and to have the skillful means to respond according to their specific needs. You make the vow to do whatever is appropriate to help them. If you need to be a bridge, you are a bridge. If you need to be a toilet, you are a toilet. In any case, you make that vow, you aspire, and you make it the fuel for your practice—your bodhicitta. Liberation only matters because we can then have the free energy to help others. Make the vow.’

The Diamond Sutra also taught, “The Buddha said to Subhuti: “The bodhisattvas and mahasattvas should thus subdue their thoughts: All the different types of sentient beings, whether they are born from eggs, from wombs, from moisture, or by transformation; whether or not they have form; whether they have thoughts or no thoughts, or have neither thought nor non-thought, I will liberate them by leading them to nirvana without residue. When immeasurable, countless, infinite numbers of sentient beings have been liberated, in reality, no sentient beings have been liberated. Why is this so? Subhuti, if bodhisattvas abide in the notions of a self, a person, a sentient being, or a life span, they are not bodhisattvas.””

In Dzogchen, it is said that our basis, our nature, has the qualities of purity (i.e. emptiness), spontaneity (lhun grub, associated with luminous clarity), and compassion (thugs rje).

In my opinion, all three are equally important. To focus solely on emptiness while neglecting luminous clarity can lead to an intellectualized view of emptiness, or even nihilism. On the other hand, emphasizing luminous clarity without understanding emptiness can result in eternalist views, where luminosity is reified as an essence or substratum. Focusing on both emptiness and clarity but neglecting compassion, the spontaneous responsiveness of our nature, results in an incomplete realization of our nature in action. Conceiving of radiance apart from activities and manifestations reifies it as having self-nature, thus not fully penetrating its empty nature. Furthermore, if your being is not filled with spontaneous compassion, you miss out the heart. However, to focus on compassion without wisdom and clarity leads to what could be called foolish compassion—compassion without discernment. This is just my personal understanding, as I am not a Dzogchen teacher.

Andre A Pais shared:

“ PLACING ALL BEINGS IN SUCHNESS

A Bodhisattva should not train in the same way in which persons belonging to the vehicle of the arhats and Pratyekabuddas are trained. How then are the arhats and Pratyekabuddhas trained? They make up their minds that ‘one single self we shall tame, one single self we shall pacify, one single self we shall lead to final nirvana’

....A Bodhisattva should certainly not in such a way train himself. On the contrary, he should train himself thus: ‘My own self I will place into Suchness, and, so that all the world might be helped, I will also place all beings into Suchness, and I will lead to nirvana the whole immeasurable world of beings’.

~ The Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in 8,000 Verses

What is criticized here is not the validity of the realization of the arhats and pratyekabuddhas, but their limited scope. The Perfection of Wisdom in 25,000 verses compares the arhats and pratyekabuddhas to glow-worms, and the bodhisattvas to the sun.⁵⁷ Both have kindled the flame of enlightenment, but the formers’ light only illuminates their own immediate surroundings, whereas that of the latter can potentially light up the whole world.

~ Jan Westerhoff”