Where tears from from

  Can tears for others be based on egoism and not vows? We had this discussion in the Surangama Sutra study group today, and I thought that it was an interesting discussion which brought up many things for me. I reflected on how I went to the Pride parade last night and saw a display which showed all the victims in the Orlando shootings of the last year, and how I was moved by this picture--to the point where I could feel a lump in my throat. The thought I had as people were dancing and celebrating that evening was, why do so many have to fight and even die for love? What is it about love that makes it so desirable for society to control and regulate? And, to go back to my original point--I did feel almost spontaneously moved by the pictures, but I am not sure exactly who those feelings were for, and whether it even relates to bodhisattva vows. I think that the only way that one's sadness might be based on vows is when there is a genuine insight into suffering which comes from spiritual practice. I suppose that this would be opposed to tears that come from emotional attachment, or the delusion of a self separate from others who fears the loss of others.
  The more that I think about it, the more I reflect that there are two things that move me the most, sometimes to the point of tears. The first is the surprise connections that people make as a result of grace. We never expect strangers to help each other or for people to save other people's pets from drowning--but when it happens, I am moved to feel that there is something deeper that is operating in people's hearts than their day-to-day, humdrum struggles for survival and happiness. The second thing that moves me is a sense of gratitude: a feeling that I have when I realize that there are a lot of unearned gifts that have been granted to me. Come to think of it, both gratitude and grace are hardly ever talked about in a Buddhist context, but they certainly do happen in a Christian one. But I do think that gratitude plays a big part in Buddhist repentance as well, especially reflecting on the teachers who have tirelessly worked on their practice so that everyone would be able to learn the Dharma teachings.