I think the world needs a little more compassion.
First of all, we might want to take a look at the meaning. Compassion is the ability to recognize the profound interconnectedness between ourselves and others. It allows us to have sympathetic concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
If we look at it closely, true compassion recognizes that we live in a world with boundaries. Some are necessary. Yet, many other barriers are not.
Compassion is not always easy to come by. Sometimes, it may even elude us. But. It is important that we start trying and keep trying. Eventually, we feel our way toward it.
The thing is, trying to be compassionate causes us to think. About circumstances. Can we be compassionate for someone who just opened fire in a school and killed numerous students? At first glance, there is no compassion for this person. Yet, when we start asking questions, our perspective is broadened. Were they abused as a child? Were they mentally ill? Did they lose someone close to them through bullying, and this was their retribution?
We move closer to compassion every time we see past our own self-concern and open ourselves up to accommodate concern for others.
Maybe after asking those questions, we still cannot find compassion for that person. That is okay, too. We do what we can with what we have. At least we tried.
Life presents us with circumstances that require our compassion, no matter how difficult. We can grow in this. And we can trust that we are ready to open our hearts. And this will lead the way to connecting us to the hearts of others.
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“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” — Dalai Lama
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“Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” — Albert Einstein
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“Compassion crowns the soul with its truest victory.” — Aberjhani
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“Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.” — Albert Schweitzer
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