(This is something I heard from my father and am just putting down in my own words.)
Imagine the much told story of Jesus being crucified. What did Jesus thought of the guys who were punishing him? He prayed "Oh Father, forgive them as they know not what they do"! This is the height of compassion, to forgive someone who is killing you cold-blooded, that too using a horrific method like crucifying. But is it really compassion? Just a virtue, that one needs to inculcate? I think its bit more deeper than that. Lets try to see it for ourselves. What sort of person was Jesus? He was a kind saint who has never hurt anyone. All he taught was about loving each other. Can anyone in a sane mind even think of killing such a kind harmless person? What sort of person can plot to crucify this person? Definitely someone who is mentally sick. And once you realise that these guys were sick, would you hate them? Sick man definitely deserves compassion. And that's what Jesus found in his mind. Not that he was trying to inculcate any virtue. Its just that he could see the truth. And after seeing the truth (that those people were sick) even a child will have compassion for them!
Hence, its not important to cultivate virtues. Virtues can not be cultivated, and something that can be cultivated can not be virtue! One just needs an unbiased unprejudiced vision (without cluttered by ego or past). Rest all (virtue or vice) follows of their own accord!
