zenmister:

Now is a good time to practice compassion. If you are hurting a lot or a little, you can practice compassion for yourself. If somebody you love is hurting, you can practice compassion for them. If somebody you don’t like is hurting, you can challenge yourself to practice compassion for them. If you can imagine all the suffering in the world, you can practice compassion for the world. When you practice compassion for the world, you complete the circle and practice for yourself again.

If you are suffering right now, now is a good time to practice with your suffering. If you are not suffering right now, now is a good time to practice connecting with your wider perspective, your wisdom, that part of you that can see beyond suffering. Whenever you take time to practice compassion, you build your capacity and skill for practice. If you can think of your suffering as part of the world’s suffering you gain perspective on both. If you are hurting a lot, imagine that multiplied by all the people in the world going through similar or vastly different experiences of physical, mental and emotional pain. Your experience connects you and gives you insight into all of their experiences. As you imagine all those other people feeling just as you do, you can wish for them to find peace and happiness in their lives. That wish or hope will bring a touch of peace to your life. In that way practicing compassion for others becomes a compassionate action for yourself again completing the circle.

When you imagine the world’s suffering, it can be overwhelming. When you feel your own suffering it can be overwhelming. Remembering that it is time for compassion can help, now. When it seems like there is nothing you can do, focus on being right where you are and opening yourself to compassion. Notice that you would rather not suffer. Notice that you don’t want others to suffer. That is the essence of compassion and noticing is the beginning of helping. When you practice being open to compassion and practicing compassion you will see it everywhere but also notice when it is absent which helps too. When you notice the absence of compassion, compassion appears.

The time to practice is now, because it is always now. No matter how we feel, we all benefit from small and large acts of compassion. The world and you need compassion. Practice now.

zenmister:

Compassionate Response

It feels like the world has been in crisis for a long time. As we witness wars and oppression happening at home and around the world, we feel relentless pressure, fear, and/or distress, which can be overwhelming. Sometimes it is our personal experience that frightens us and sometimes it is witnessing the tragedies that happen to others. Pain and suffering is ubiquitous in all corners of the globe. Whether we are experiencing violence in our homes or witnessing it in a foreign land, we suffer like they suffer, their fear is our fear. Whether it is our suffering or theirs, we can respond with compassion.

If we are being shelled by a foreign superpower, a compassionate response would be to take shelter. Although the fear would be intense, the action of moving toward safety helps both physically and emotionally. A compassionate response is a thoughtful action in response to suffering with the intention to ease the suffering…read more