What is Compassion ?

Awhile back I met a woman who is trained in the ancient art of accupuncture. Although i could not tolerate the treatment , I was moved by our conversation. At one point she said, I recently heard that "Compassion is the refusal to engage in another's illusion. " This is a mystery to me. I have tried and tried to see this in my life. While i have concluded it will take a lifetime to understand this, I did see this lack of compassion in my self over the last 2 days.

    This brings me to racism and politics and religion and causes. All these things came up recently with the visiting of folks I know and have not spoken with in a few years. I was surprised at one guest making a racist comment to which i certainly must have looked shocked, but to which i did not reply as i should have. But i guess it was clear to all present how i felt about the comment. The next day, though, another remark was made, just as the person was leaving.. and it was more pointedly racist than the one from the day before. At that time, I did reply but not as well as i could have.
   Maybe it was the person being older than I. Maybe it was because of gender. Maybe it was because of my lack of compassion. I did not refuse to engage in this person's illusion.