practice compassion

I think if all could do this it would be a truly great world to live in. I have almost always been kind but I want to go further and practice compassion to ensure I set a good expample for my childen and the commuinty atlarge. You always lead by your actions.

my new neighbours are a bunch of single men that I call the lonely hearts club, they get up early, do some chores and hit the bottle around 10am.
I am struggling to feel compassionate at times because they creep me out, there is 4 of them hanging around. I guess I feel rather vulnerable, being here on my own most of the time, booze does strange things to people.
I really want to work on having a compassionate view of their lifestyle.

last nights dinner was a friendly and fun occasion until my moderately intoxicated visitor leant over and whispered insults into my ear, coupled with some advice on how to manage it better (to appeal to her standards)
at first i was taken aback and didn’t know what to make of it, my ego got in the way ‘how dare she’ ...
after they had left i thought it over and decided just like me (and everyone else in this world) she is suffering, so i decided not to take it personally and practise compassion instead. discussed it with my partner and we came to the conclusion that it was the result of her perceived ‘lack of’ which caused her to react like that, bless her.

We are all doing the best we can with the tools we have available. That includes me. To truly see the inherent good and worthiness in people can heal and open hearts, but first I must heal and open my own heart through compassion and forgiveness for myself.

I want to start being more loving and accepting <3

i was kidding myself in the “letting it go’ of my last post, i am still quite upset over the comment, as it is a recurring matter and won’t be resolved unless he just accepts the way i am.
ugh!

mate came home drunk as a skunk and was talking a whole lotta rubbish, i got quite upset over it to begin with, but held my tongue and reminded myself that just like me they are also suffering and doing what they can to alleviate this.
it really helped me put things into perspective, i know not to pay attention to the drunks talking, but the little old saying ‘kids and drunks speak the truth’ niggled in the back of my head.
i let it go.

my biggest learning with regards to this goal has been that first and foremost i must be compassionate towards myself.
so many times i beat myself up over something that i would be totally supportive with if it was someone else.
i found that when i am compassionate with myself i relax and it is all ok.

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brief excerpts from Compassion and the Individual

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.

Of course, developing this kind of compassion is not at all easy! As a start, let us consider the following facts:
Whether people are beautiful and friendly or unattractive and disruptive, ultimately they are human beings, just like oneself. Like oneself, they want happiness and do not want suffering. Furthermore, their right to overcome suffering and be happy is equal to one’s own. Now, when you recognize that all beings are equal in both their desire for happiness and their right to obtain it, you automatically feel empathy and closeness for them. Through accustoming your mind to this sense of universal altruism, you develop a feeling of responsibility for others: the wish to help them actively overcome their problems. Nor is this wish selective; it applies equally to all. As long as they are human beings experiencing pleasure and pain just as you do, there is no logical basis to discriminate between them or to alter your concern for them if they behave negatively.

Let me emphasize that it is within your power, given patience and time, to develop this kind of compassion. Of course, our self-centeredness, our distinctive attachment to the feeling of an independent, self-existent “I”, works fundamentally to inhibit our compassion. Indeed, true compassion can be experienced only when this type of self- grasping is eliminated. But this does not mean that we cannot start and make progress now.

....

individual happiness can contribute in a profound and effective way to the overall improvement of our entire human community.

Because we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister. No matter how new the face or how different the dress and behavior, there is no significant division between us and other people. It is foolish to dwell on external differences, because our basic natures are the same.

Ultimately, humanity is one and this small planet is our only home, If we are to protect this home of ours, each of us needs to experience a vivid sense of universal altruism. It is only this feeling that can remove the self-centered motives that cause people to deceive and misuse one another.

If you have a sincere and open heart, you naturally feel self- worth and confidence, and there is no need to be fearful of others.

I believe that at every level of society – familial, tribal, national and international – the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities.

I try to treat whoever I meet as an old friend. This gives me a genuine feeling of happiness. It is the practice of compassion.

But I’ve tried.