The Shambhala Warriors' Weapons

At first sight, the author's extraordinarily civilized  weapons, compassion and insight, seem pathetically frail, laughably so, seen from the perspective of the barbarian powers. Those powers do not claim to be barbarian as such. They do not see themselves as malevolent and more often than not claim that their point of view is that of reality, of the inherent competitiveness of life itself. Although they have assimilated the concept of evolution, they think in terms of 'mechanical' darwinian evolution only and do not see that further evolution on this planet will be determined by man's conscious evolution. Even faced with the announced planetary disaster they will affirm, with a very  strange sort of faith, that life on earth will go on and that man's inventiveness alone is capable to work out miracles. This view point, although it manifests some spirit, is limited and geared to short term  action. These barbarian powers are not only found in the elites but also in the great number of so called simple people who rather thoughtlessly share these views. So at first sight it would seem that civilisation, in the highest sense, stands defeated.
 On second thought I think of the tremendous impact a few very determined spiritual activists have had in olden and  recent times and also in the present time, if one considers the Dalai Lama's extraordinary moral and spiritual combat, fought with the apparently frail weapons of compassion and insight. The key, I believe, is for such activists to be free of either hope or despair.   

 I am really trying to understand what is Compassion?

 Dear Swara,
An easy way to see compassion is to notice it as being kind to others and yourself.  It is like treating others and yourself the way you would like to be treated considering the long term and short term.  it is much like love.Warm and kind regards.

Conrad

I also see compassion as the "com-mingling of passion" or the sharing of our energetic force that helps me see/feel the unity at the core of our beings. This quote helps me remember my place in helping others in this co-mingling process:“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time.But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us worktogether.”