Compassion: The Greatest Gift and #10 of the 12 "C's"

Just imagine what the world would be like if all mankind were kind, compassionate and accepting.  For the Dalai Lama, compassion is the greatest of all character traits.  We were born to be gentle and loving.

True compassion embodies responsibility and action.

I’ve faced adversity and great challenges many times in my life and felt drained and empty.  When I would ask the universe (God) for help, the answer was always the same: go out and be there for someone else.  Sometimes I would have to dig really deep inside myself to find the energy.  What I noticed was that, in doing so, I was lifted up, raised above my own struggles.

So what exactly is compassion? 

Compassion is, first of all, empathy – the ability to step into another’s shoes.  Empathy connects us to all of mankind in the understanding that we are all one. One person’s suffering is hurting us all.  By embracing empathy we accept our responsibility to take action for the good of all. Compassion honours and respects others and their individuality.

It can seem sometimes that the world is a cold and scary place.  It can appear that no one really cares about others.  There’s widespread fear, anger, jealousy, suspicion and negativity.  Feelings of low self-esteem and alienation are epidemic. We hunger for opportunities to feel connected. 

“True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason.  Therefore, a truly compassionate attitude towards others does not change even if they behave negatively.”  Dalai Lama

Where does compassion come from?

We are born to be both the givers and receivers of compassion.  It must be nurtured from birth.  And, as we grow up, we must see and feel it in action, starting at home within the family.  Without that experience, a child cannot know the joy, fulfillment and safety of this deep connection.  What happens in the formative years is crucial.  A child can feel and exhibit empathy before the age of two. 

A WORD OF CAUTION:

Being compassionate does not mean “fixing”, controlling or even giving advice.  That is your self-serving EGO at work.  What all of us long for is to be heard and to be understood, and included.  There is no shortage of “advice” out there.   The action that’s most important is that of being present to others. When you are truly present, your Ego, your judgments and your attachments to outcome are absent.  In the short video, the Dalai Lama describes unbiased compassion.   

  “The true expression of non-violence is compassion.”