Suffering is a universal experience

Seeing the suffering in the world around us and in our own bodies and minds, we begin to understand suffering not only as an individual problem, but as a universal experience. It is one of the aspects of being alive. The question that then comes to mind is: If compassion arises from the awareness of suffering, why isn't the world a more compassionate place? The problem is that often our hearts are not open to feel the pain. We move away from it, close off, and become defended. By closing ourselves off from suffering, however, we also close ourselves to our own wellspring of compassion. We don't need to be particularly saintly in order to be compassionate. Compassion is the natural response of an open heart, but that wellspring of compassion remains capped as long as we turn away from or deny or resist the truth of what is there. When we deny our experience of suffering, we move away from what is genuine to what is fabricated, deceptive, and confusing.

- Joseph Goldstein, Seeking the Heart of Wisdom, from Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith
Tricycle's Daily Dharma: February 17, 2008

My comments:
Though I think by definition enlightened beings no longer suffer, because they no longer try to sidestep pain, if I understand correctly. Neither do they need empathy about suffering as impetus for compassion anymore. Though enlightenment is kind of like infinity in that it's more like a limit than an actuality in my opinion. :)