April 2008

Compassion is a funny thing. On the one hand, I don’t think there is a feeling more pure and divine in all the universe and that once you feel it in your deepest heart of hearts, it is something that will shine through and radiate about you, touching the lives and karmas of others. It is something that then becomes natural, almost without thought or meditation - it becomes natural as breathing or just being. But on the other hand, it is something that eludes me continually. This is most true on certain days, when I am confronted with hatred and ignorance, but more of the former than the latter. These two human vices are like contagions, poisons that can seep into anything they come across. When they come across my path, I find it hard then to block it what little compassion and tolerance I’ve been trying to cultivate in the last few weeks. I find myself back to square one.

I hate feeling hate. It makes my blood boil and my heart race, so that I feel like I have to shout or punch cushions and pillows to get it out of my system. It sounds horrible, but the worst is when I turn that hate onto the people I love. They take it as being mood swings, but if they only knew. This isn’t merely hormonal ranting anymore. When I see how dogmatic and utterly unwilling people are to see the truth of things, or even show the same tolerance I would show to them, what starts off as annoyance quickly simmers into anger.

Surely encompassed within compassion are all the other virtues we strive for. I’ve thought about deeply for a while now. There can be no truth without compassion, because to be truly concerned for an individual, one must be honest with them. There can be no respect without compassion, because respect relies upon a rudimentary acknowledgement for another person’s humanity. Following all these, patience, gentleness, tolerance and courage - I can see now how all of these are tied ultimately to compassion. I understand now why some Buddhists value mercy and forgiveness over wisdom, once thought to be the ultimate goal, and the fastest way to Enlightenment. Wisdom is all very good, but it helps only those free of ignorance. Those unlucky enough to realise the potential of a true nature are left to wallow in the abyss of oblivion forever, perpetuating samsara. Even Jesus Christ preached this message to his disciples. He said the greatest thing anyone can hope to do in His name is to “love thy neighbour”. It was what he taught to listeners again and again in his parables, and in instances where he showed mercy and compassion to outcasts, criminals and the undesirables of society (Mary Magdalene and Zacchaeus but to name a few). He forgot nobody and included everybody.

Compassion starts small. It starts at home, perhaps and then grows to incorporate others, and eventually the world - even those my old self would loathe or hate without a moment’s thought. I strive to show more kindness to my family and friends. I hope God (in whatever form He chooses to help me with as I undertake this) can sustain this hope I have.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.