"Compassion is the common language of this world than can break down all barriers in human relationships. However, for most people it is easier to give rise to compassion when it comes to friends and relatives whom they have connections with; it is not easy to practice compassion on strangers. In reality, Buddhism teaches us that even for people who appear to have little connection with us in this lifetime, they could be our relatives and friends in our past lives. As such, regardless if we know one another or not, we should treat each other with compassion."