This is a paraphrase by Bhikshu Dharmamitra of the English translation of Pruden's translation of Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosabhasyam, Chapter 7.
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With respect to its nature: ordinary compassion is absence of hatred, whereas great compassion is absence of ignorance.
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With respect to its aspect: ordinary compassion engages one form of suffering (suffering inherent in suffering itself), whereas great compassion engages all three forms of suffering (suffering of suffering; suffering of change; suffering at the level of samskara, i.e. at the level of the operation of karmic compositional factors processes.
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With respect to its object: ordinary compassion is concerned with the beings of one realm only (the desire realm), whereas great compassion is concerned with the inhabitants of all three realms (the desire, form and formless realms).
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With respect to its sphere: ordinary compassion is of the sphere of the four dhyanas, whereas great compassion is of the sphere of the fourth dhyana.
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With respect to the personality which serves as its support: ordinary compassion arises in the series of the Hearers, the Pratyekabuddhas, and the foolish common person, whereas great compassion arises in the series of the Buddhas. (This includes bodhisattvas who are indeed in the series of the Buddhas.)
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With respect to its acquisition: ordinary compassion is obtained through detachment from the desire realm, whereas great compassion is obtained through detachement from all realms of existence (Bhavagra).
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With respect to its protection: ordinary compassion does not protect, whereas great compassion protects.
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With respect to compassion itself: ordinary compassion is an unequal compassion, for it sympathizes only with beings who are suffering, whereas great compassion is an equal compassion, turned toward all beings equally.
