True compassion
recognizes that all the boundaries we perceive between ourselves and others
are an illusion. Compassion is the ability to see the deep
connectedness between ourselves and others. Moreover, true compassion
recognizes that all the boundaries we perceive between ourselves and others
are an illusion. When we first begin to practice compassion, this very deep
level of understanding may elude us, but we can have faith that if we start
where we are, we will eventually feel our way toward it. We move closer to it
every time we see past our own self-concern to accommodate concern for
others. And, as with any skill, our compassion grows most in the presence of
difficulty. We practice small acts of compassion every
day, when our loved ones are short-tempered or another driver cuts us off in
traffic. We extend our forgiveness by trying to understand their point of
view; we know how it is to feel stressed out or irritable. The practice of
compassion becomes more difficult when we find ourselves unable to understand
the actions of the person who offends us. These are the situations that ask
us to look more deeply into ourselves, into parts of our psyches that we may
want to deny, parts that we have repressed because society has labeled them
bad or wrong. For example, acts of violence are often well beyond anything we
ourselves have perpetuated, so when we are on the receiving end of such acts,
we are often at a loss. This is where the real potential for growth begins,
because we are called to shine a light inside ourselves and take
responsibility for what we have disowned. It is at this juncture that we have
the opportunity to transform from within. This can seem like a very tall order, but
when life presents us with circumstances that require our compassion, no
matter how difficult, we can trust that we are ready. We can call upon all
the light we have cultivated so far, allowing it to lead the way into the
darkest parts of our own hearts, connecting us to the hearts of others in the
understanding that is true compassion. |
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