A certain child likes sweets ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro
A certain child likes sweets. His mother buys sweets for him every day, because she wants him to be happy. When the child has no sweets he cries as if his heart is broken. Unable to bear her child's suffering she always finds some for him. After some years, the child's teeth are all rotten.
Kindness and compassion must always be governed by wisdom. With wisdom we look at the larger context of people's behaviour, and consider it in terms of the law of kamma. Take the example of people who continue to cheat us, even after we have forgiven them for previous offences. Allowing them to continue in their old ways without taking appropriate action is irresponsible. Seeing no consequences to their actions, these people can become even more heedless, and create even more bad kamma, for which they will have to suffer in the future. The response that is both compassionate and wise may require inflicting some short-term pain for long-term benefit.
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