practice compassion

I have been wanting to get a tattoo for awhile to remind me of my Buddhist practice. I finally got the tattoo last week and in only a week can see such a difference in my practice. Having a constant visual reminder has been SO helpful, most especially when practicing compassion. And so I recommend it highly to anyone who has thought about such a visual reminder themselves. I’ll post a picture at a later date.

I have been a lot more successful at learning compassion since I’ve been involved in a 12-step group. The spiritual foundation of 12-step is anonymity. Anonymity teaches that we are all equal. It has been sobering, humbling and extremely difficult; but HIGHLY rewarding.

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.

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

But I’ve tried.

as I’ve been developing my compassion, I find that not only are past hurts leaving me, but my desire to “fix” past relationships or friendships is leaving me, too. I am not only having more compassion for others, but I’m finding so much more compassion for myself and allowing myself to move through, on and over.

Recently I spent time with a relative who is very different from me. In the past I found myself aggravated by the difference. This time, I felt open to putting myself in that person’s shoes, and I had a much richer visit as a result. I live in my head a lot and need to renew connection with my heart. I live in a dense urban community with a Type A atmosphere, with people driving aggressively and living with tunnel vision. I want to step back from being caught in that energy, so I can breathe and have compassion for others as well as myself.

Compassion is a huge challenge when we are not compassionate towards ourselves….then we would find it so much more difficult to be compassionate towards the rest of the universe.
By this statement i do not imply that whatever i do or say should be regarded as part of the process and overlook my shortcommings…no, forgiveness of the self is essential and just as part of compassion as love would be.

Thanks to Rob Brezsny at Free Will Astrology for quoting it in his newsletter and making me aware of it!

Suffering is not holding you. You are holding suffering. When you become good at the art of letting sufferings go, then you’ll come to realize how unnecessary it was for you to drag those burdens around with you. You’ll see that no one else other than you was responsible.
-Osho