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