In order to have strong consideration for others' happiness and welfare, it is necessary to have a special altruistic attitude in which you take upon yourself the burden of helping others. In order to generate such an unusual attitude, it is necessary to have great compassion, caring about the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it. In order to have such a strong force of compassion, first you must have a strong sense of love which, upon observing suffering sentient beings, wishes that they have happiness--finding a pleasantness in everyone and wishing happiness for everyone just as a mother does for her sole sweet child.
In order to have a sense of closeness and dearness for others, you first train in acknowledging their kindness through using as a model a person in this lifetime who was very kind to yourself and then extending this sense of gratitude to all beings. Since, in general, in this life your mother was the closest and offered the most help, the process of meditation begins with recognizing all other sentient beings as like your mother.
--from
Kindness, Clarity, and Insight
by The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso.
