Indra's net, compassion, and the second greatest commandment

Far away in the heavenly abode of the great god Indra, there is a wonderful net which has been hung by some cunning artificer in such a manner that it stretches out infinitely in all directions. In accordance with the extravagant tastes of deities, the artificer has hung a single glittering jewel in each "eye" of the net, and since the net itself is infinite in dimension, the jewels are infinite in number. There hang the jewels, glittering like stars in the first magnitude, a wonderful sight to behold. If we now arbitrarily select one of these jewels for inspection and look closely at it, we will discover that in its polished surface there are reflected all the other jewels in the net, infinite in number. Not only that, but each of the jewels reflected in this one jewel is also reflecting all the other jewels, so that there is an infinite reflecting process occurring
The Jewel Net of Indra, by Harold Cook

The Buddhist concept of reality is that all things are related to each other, and they derive their existence based on their relationship to each other. The greatest virtue in Buddhism is the elimination of 'dhuka' or suffering; of our own suffering, and the suffering of other peoples'.

If we are to perceive the world as being that of Indra's net, where each of us are jewels in the net, then each of our existence is a reflection of the existence of another person's, just as is our suffering that of another person's. Whereby the suffering of parents are passed down to children, the suffering of a lover is passed to the beloved. Which makes sense that the virtue is to eliminate both our suffering and that of others, because by doing both, we make it easier to live in Indra's net.

Turning to western philosophy, specifically christianity, the second greatest commandment is pretty much the same thing in different words. Love thy neighbor as thyself. What is love, if not comprised of all the elements of compassion, of living and breathing the sense of the other to such an extent that we take on the pain that they feel, to such an extent, that we seek to find ways to help them overcome their pain?

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