The previous articles I wrote about Ted Williams and Jared Loughner, teaches us about compassion how to invoke a spirit of compassion and forgiveness.
In this article we will focus on defining compassion more specifically. According to the Dalai Lama..
As long as we live in this world we are bound to encounter problems. If, at such times, we lose hope and become discouraged, we diminish our ability to face difficulties. If, on the other hand, we remember that it is not just ourselves but everyone who has to undergo suffering, this more realistic perspective will increase our determination and capacity to overcome troubles. Indeed, with this attitude, each new obstacle can be seen as yet another valuable opportunity to improve our mind!
Thus we can strive gradually to become more compassionate, that is we can develop both genuine sympathy for others’ suffering and the will to help remove their pain. As a result, our own serenity and inner strength will increase.
Whether you like it or not, all human being are connected energetically in some way or another. Simply said, we are of the same source with varying values, strengths, weaknesses and purpose. Having compassion for another exudes the belief that we are all as one entity, existing within the confines of time and space.
We can show compassion for others by following a strict mental process that holds love for one another, extending others as ourselves. During this process, we can combine love and compassion, knowing that it exists in each one of us. When we degrade another human soul, it’s like degrading ourselves. But, by showing compassion, we link ourselves to another individual as one. Compassion can be seen as a state of mind, prolonging the effect of love. If you do not show compassion for others, you lose the sensory effects of love that exhibit between each and every one of us.
Because there is sometimes a suffering component in one’s life, people may react out of fear, self loathing, jealousy, and so one. Showing compassion for others shows that you are aware and knowledgeable of pain a person may face as a result of their life experiences. Having compassion for people doesn’t mean you have to give your energy to away, allowing them to take away your joy or manifest itself as poison in your life; it is showing that you are knowledgeable of the perils of life that sometimes restrict us from being our best.
Dr. Jessica is a Psychologist and Empowerment Coach with the Center for Discovery. She helps women experiencing a personal or career transition discover their highest potential, using proven principles and practices of mind, body, and spiritual development.
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