Compassion

"Compassion accepts others as they are. One who thoroughly realizes compassion no longer sees any separation between self and others. Compassion is the wholesome and spontaneous response to all situations."
- Tarthang Tulku

(1) Accepting others as they are.

Even if...
Their thoughts, emotions, or actions "affect" you.
It does not matter to me if you share a difference in your ideas/beliefs/convictions about how to think, emote or act from me - that is much easier than when your difference personally affects me - yet, it is those moments when such differences take on a personal tone that I have to remind myself to accept you as you are... while acknowledging the reasons for their affect on me

(2) No longer see separation between self and others.

Even if...
Their presence causes you to "recoil"
It is easy when your presence appears symbiotic to mine - it is not as easy when it appears that we wish to push away from each other - yet, it is those moments that I have to remind myself that you are like me at heart, and that we are one and same - your actions speak to my actions, and vice versa (your emotions result from my emotions and bring about my emotions that cause your emotions... this idea explained in many different ways - speaks to the inter-dependant nature of things). Compassion allows to see this connection between you and I.

(3) A wholesome and spontaneous response

Even if...
Other emotions are present that call for another response.
Compassion for both myself and you - is easy when other emotions are not present asking to be expressed in responses that appear non-compassionate. Compassion is strong.



These words are easily spoken. But hard to follow, hard to envision and therefore embody.