PMAG 15 Compassion Parvati Magazine - February 2015: Compassion | Page 6

POSITIVE POSSIBILITIES COMPASSION, PITY AND EMPATHY Image credit: Alice Popkorn A s we evolve spiritually, we cannot help but feel moved by the suffering we see in the world. An impulse to help alleviate pain is a natural reflection of our inherent humanity. Sitting on our meditation cushion often gives rise to a greater sense of how connected we are, and as such, that our compassionate actions can serve the world. Through compassion, we rest in our underlying sense of oneness. We are humbly no better than or worse than others, but feel connected to all through love. “Our world is desperately hungry for more love and true compassion.” We must remember, however, that compassion is a sophisticated state of being. As the Buddhists say, its ‘near enemy’ is pity, which is very different than compassion. When we feel pity, we are positioning ourselves as separate from another, usually somehow above them. In compassion, we rest in the understanding of our inherent oneness. Along the road to compassion, we learn to empathize. We can open our hearts to others’ suffering. In compassion, “no-self” exists. This is a beautiful and profound state, something we can aspire