I just finished a book whose central theme was Compassion. It starts as a simple fantasy story set in a fantasy Orient. By the end, it is a wonderful story mainly about compassion. It has political intrigue and action, but also a spiritual aspect based on Buddhist teachings. The central event is that a monk offers to cure an invading army of the plague if they agree to lay down their weapons. This simple act of compassion save the heroes and the empire, causing the heroes to become the leaders of the Empire after the corrupt emperor is killed by his consort. It is a set of two books, Initiate Brother and Gatherer of Clouds by Sean Russell.

I felt guilty after reading it today because of my own small noncompassionate act. I have had a hive of yellowjackets growing near my front door. I let them grow there, creating their hive within the walls of my house. It has been growing to the point that there were always at least two, sometimes three or more yellowjackets present. Occasionally, they would buzz my head, forcing me to duck. This did not bother me, but I felt that it was dangerous to visitors and the postal service. I bought pesiticides to kill them. The pesticides smelled evil, like gasoline. So far, it seems to have been effective, but I feel guilty about having killed a living organism. My karma is not tranquil tonight.