I think that nails it. Compassion will come from the heart of a child when the time is right. It seems that your kids are on the right track.Johnny Dangerous wrote: I don't know for sure but I imagine my kids would feel really bad for the fish if they tried it. They get upset when other kids kill bugs and such, like I said. I fished as a kid and I remember how hard it was for the first time I saw a bunch of fish strung up ls waiting to die as we let them spend their last agonizing time in the water while we caught more:(
An acquaintance of mine was raised to always say and think the "right" thing. His responses to difficult questions are straight off his official "compassionate menu" but dig a bit deeper and there is no genuine compassion, just disinterest.
Buddha had to see suffering for himself to understand compassion. Perhaps an allegory for all of us.