In this section, the focus will be on love and compassion. The table below provides the overall context as far as the three fundamental aspects of the nature of mind.
| Openness/Spaciousness | Complete openness | Awareness |
| Clarity/Awareness | Natural perfection | Wisdom |
| Sensitivity/Responsiveness | Absolute spontaneity | Love and compassion |
| Rigdzin Shikpo | Trungpa & Shikpo | Mingyur Rinpoche |
The above table presents the three overarching aspects of our inherent, true nature — our basic innate, inner goodness. All beings possess this nature. However, it is usually not recognised. When it is recognised, it brings hope and courage in life.
Love and compassion is the essence of the Buddhist classic text entitled Way of the Bodhisattva, written by Shantideva.
You’re not the limited, anxious person you think you are. Any trained Buddhist teacher can tell you with all the conviction of personal experience that, really, you’re the very heart of compassion, completely aware, and fully capable of achieving the greatest good, not only for yourself, but for everyone and everything you can imagine. The only problem is that you don’t recognize these things about yourself. (Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. The Joy of Living.)