Compassion.
Compassion springs from a mind and heart deeply rooted in simplicity, integrity, and a profound understanding of the interconnected nature of all life. Compassion is a transforming quality of heart we cultivate, nurture, and refine. It is rediscovered through the falling away of layers of fear, resistance, and anxiety that have the power to veil the innately compassionate heart. Our challenge may not be so much one of becoming more compassionate, but one of learning to let go of the clouds of confusion that obscures the powerful compassion within us.
There is no greater need in this world than the need for compassion. There is no greater healing power than that of compassion. Nurturing compassion invites us to address the most challenging questions and dilemmas of our times. How do we respond to the escalating poverty, suffering and anguish in the world? Can we find a wise and compassionate way to embrace those who abuse, exploit and oppress? Can we find a way to embrace the rage, fear and hurt carried in our own hearts? Is there any true alternative to compassion? Compassion is a seed, cultivated within ourselves, that flowers in kindness, patience, tolerance and the skillful responses of healing. Compassion is born not of complex, heroic efforts and prescriptions, but of simple dedication to the end of sorrow as it is met in each moment.
We need to remember that compassion is not only the territory of the saintly, the realized, or the religious; it is born in heartfelt listening to our own life, heart, and mid, and bearing the echoes of all lives, hearts and minds.
We need to remember that compassion is not only the territory of the saintly, the realized, or the religious; it is born in heartfelt listening to our own life, heart, and mid, and bearing the echoes of all lives, hearts and minds.
Each of us has the capacity to awaken our hearts and minds, and discover the simplicity of genuine compassion ... Our capacity to feel deeply means we share with all life the possibilities of experiencing delight, joy, trust, and intimacy, just as we share the capacity to experience pain, sorrow, grief and fear.
An understanding of this profound interconnectedness of all life is at the root of the compassionate heart dedicated to alleviating suffering without reservation or exception.
We are strangely close to the people in our lives we struggle with, fear, resent, just as we are close to the difficult places in our own hearts and minds - our tendencies towards self-abasement, greed or feelings of inadequacy ... The difficult people in our lives, the difficult places in ourselves, appear to hold as much power, but it is power we have given to them.
Would we rather flounder in the waves of resentment or find the compassion to forgive and move on in our lives? Would we rather pursue the desperate dream of perfection or find the wisdom and compassion of acceptance and understanding?
In the loss of compassion, and the surrender of the core of freedom within, there is grieving in our hearts; the grief of profound loss. Learning to rediscover our capacity for compassion is a reclaiming of authority ... In resting in interconnectedness there is peace, forgiveness, compassion, and vastness.
Our memories, thoughts, and fears that are rooted in pain speak the language of separation and division - "wrong," "bad," "unworthy." The wisdom of our heart speaks a softer language - "Patience," "tolerance," "forgiveness."
The difficult moments and encounters in our lives are the gateways to compassion. Our enemies are angels of compassion in disguise, inviting us to present, to attend, and to receive. Here we discover for ourselves the healing, balancing power of compassion.
Our memories, thoughts, and fears that are rooted in pain speak the language of separation and division - "wrong," "bad," "unworthy." The wisdom of our heart speaks a softer language - "Patience," "tolerance," "forgiveness."
The difficult moments and encounters in our lives are the gateways to compassion. Our enemies are angels of compassion in disguise, inviting us to present, to attend, and to receive. Here we discover for ourselves the healing, balancing power of compassion.
Genuine compassion is not only a response to obvious sorrow and pain, but it is also present in the moments we are confronted with people who offend, threaten or challenge us ... We will all meet many difficult moments in our lives - people will abuse us or take us for granted, people we love will leave us; our expectations of others and ourselves will be disappointed, and there will be times when we are misunderstood or judged unfairly ... Whether our response to sorrow is an inner or an outer one, compassion roots itself in the dedication to ending sorrow.
How many moments in our lives do we face the choice between participating in the perpetuation of pain and finding another path that asks of us a greater courage, faith and compassion?
The seeds of compassion and wisdom lie in each moment that we are willing to turn our attention toward suffering, pain and conflict rather than following the pathways of denial and avoidance ... the gentle exploration of pain and sorrow in the world around us is also an exploration of the pain and sorrow we encounter in our own hearts and lives ... We live in a fragile world and there is wisdom in embracing a wise insecurity, understanding that the only authentic refuge in this fragile life lies in our capacity to remain present, balanced, and compassionate.
The seeds of compassion and wisdom lie in each moment that we are willing to turn our attention toward suffering, pain and conflict rather than following the pathways of denial and avoidance ... the gentle exploration of pain and sorrow in the world around us is also an exploration of the pain and sorrow we encounter in our own hearts and lives ... We live in a fragile world and there is wisdom in embracing a wise insecurity, understanding that the only authentic refuge in this fragile life lies in our capacity to remain present, balanced, and compassionate.
We hold the power to wound ourselves with judgment, harshness, and blame, occupying the role of our own inner terrorist. All the strategies, formulas, and willpower in the world are no substitute for compassion ... Compassion teaches us that it is dangerous for our planet, our society, and ourselves NOT to care.
Compassion.
Compassion.
~ Christina Feldman, Author of
The Buddhist Path to Simplicity ~ Spiritual Practice for Everyday Life
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