The Buddha on Compassion

A young mother was wailing in agony because her only child had died unexpectedly. The Buddha approached her; she remained inconsolable. "Tell me, Buddha, how can I ease this pain? I have never been so overwhelmed with agony. Please, please, please, can you bring back my son?" The Buddha felt compassion for this young mother. "Go into the village and seek the villagers; if you can find one villager who has not suffered as you have, I will bring back your son."
The woman's spirit was renewed! She quickened her pace toward the village. "The Buddha has promised to bring back my son!" The woman approached the first villager she saw. "Tell me, surely you have not experienced agony like this!" But the villager told her a tale of agony. The woman proceeded to the next house. "Surely," she asked, "you haven't experienced this level of agony?" But the villager told her a tale of agony. She approached the next house, and the next, and the next; every single villager reported a tale of heart-breaking agony. The woman returned to the Buddha, despondent but also somewhat unexpectedly consoled. "I have not been able to find a single villager who has not suffered as I have." The Buddha assured her that her journey yielded the expected result. "And now," offered the Buddha, "you have a sense of compassion for all those who have suffered as you have."