The Power of Compassion

Have you ever helped someone, just because they needed it? Have you ever gone out of your way to assist someone, perhaps a total stranger, simply because they needed help? If you have, you might be familiar with the warm feeling that washes over you, the calm serene glow that you carry with you for moments afterwards, the inner smile that you can’t seem to shake. It feels good, doesn’t it? To know that you have been truly kind, to know that you have made a difference in someones life.

The power, and importance of compassion is highlighted by an old story of a little girl and some starfish. It goes something like this;

Once there was a little girl who lived on the coast with her grandfather. One day there was a fierce storm, it wreaked havoc throughout the bay and destroyed many of the ocean life. As the storm subsided hundreds of starfish washed up on to the shore. Realizing the starfish would die if left on the beach the little girl hurriedly ran forth and began picking up the fish and placing them back into the water. As she worked furiously her grandfather came up behind her and said to her, “What’s the point? You are wasting your time! You cannot save them all, so it doesn’t matter.” The young girl turned to her Grandfather and explained as she placed yet another fish back into the water, “To the one fish I do save, to that one, it matters…”

I like that story because it highlights how important life is, and also how valuable compassion is. Some people may feel that there is no point in changing the world – that we are too far gone, there is no point changing the way we think, speak and act – no point working towards a Utopia simply because we cannot change everyone, so it doesn’t matter. To them I say, to the one person that does change, be it me or you or another, to that one, it matters…

The Importance of Forgiveness

Through living our lives we come across people who do wrong by us. They mistreat us, they make mistakes, they hurt us. Often times the person who treats us the worst, the one who seems to make the most mistakes, the one who hurts us the most, is ourself.

If we learn to let things go, if we begin to realize we are still learning, that we are allowed to make mistakes and that as long as we grow and learn from our mistakes they are not failures – if we start to understand these things, we can learn to forgive ourselves. Once we start forgiving ourselves, we stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We can learn to face new challenges – to grow stronger, and to no longer be afraid. If you can forgive yourself, forgiving others for their wrong doings, their mistakes, and their hurt towards us, is easy.

Change starts on the inside and ripples outward, like throwing pebbles of growing sizes into a still pond. It starts slow, but as the pebbles get larger, the splash gets bigger, and pretty soon you are making big waves.

The sooner we learn to forgive ourselves, the sooner we can start fixing what it is, that is wrong with the world.

~Peace~

Why Bother?

So far we have discussed the idea that we can consciously change the way we think, the way we act and the way we react. We have looked at the idea of being “better” people, of treating one another more fairly, of learning piece by piece to care for one another. An impending question of course, however, is why? Why should we care for one another? Why should we give a damn? Why should we be “better” people?

If you are a religious person perhaps you have your own takes on the answer to this already. If you are not religious, or perhaps even if you are, you may very well be at a loss for any good reason, any good answer, as to why we should be nicer people. I think that the best reason I can come up with, is that in the long term, in the bigger picture, if we initiate positive change within ourselves it will work its way into others. Positive energy is like that – it’s somewhat contagious, (as is negative energy, so we should be astute, and try to guard against other peoples bad moods rubbing off on us). If people catch our good deeds, our friendliness, our compassion, then I’m sure you will agree this is a good thing. For perhaps they will pass it on to someone else, who will in turn pass it on to another, and guess what… eventually, someone will pass it back – to us.

Whether or not you believe directly in Karma I am sure you will agree that generally speaking being nice to people means more people are nice to you. The more you care about people – the more they care about you. It might take some time, but it comes back to the old adage of treat others the way you want to be treated.

On a larger, global scale, imagine how far the human race would be, if we were all working together – if country borders were merely geographical ones. Imagine if no one was afraid of anyone else – if no one ever even dreamed of harming another. I am of course talking about a utopia, but I do not for a moment think this is impossible. It is going to take time. It is going to take hard work.

It is true there is something wrong with the world, but I am certain, without a doubt, that we can fix it.

The Light Inside Us All

I believe we all have a light inside of us. You may feel it is connected to a religion, but you don’t have to be religious to feel it. I am talking about the capacity to do great things, to be wonderful, extraordinary people. Some of us are much more tapped in to this light than others. I think The Buddha referred to it as our Buddha Seed or Buddha nature. In comparison I think Christianity refers to it as the light, or grace inside of us all – god working through us. I make no bones over which is more or less correct than the other, nor do I pass judgement on their accuracy. I do however know that all of us, no matter who or where can do good – can help others, can be nice, friendly, loving people.

Of course as with the dual nature of all existence, where there is good, is evil. Just as we have the capacity to do good, we most certainly also possess the ability to do bad. To be terrible, selfish, horrid creatures that exist to serve only ourselves. The key here however, is that we also have as human beings something quite amazing – we don’t just rely on instincts as some animals seem to – we can evaluate our situation and proceed accordingly. That is to say… we have a choice. We can choose to be good, or bad, to be nice and caring, or selfish and angry. We can even consciously feel something like anger and force ourselves to overcome it – we can be sad and still choose to smile. Sometimes the right thing by everyone else seems to be the wrong thing by us. Other times the reverse is true. However, if we dig a little deeper, look a little further into things and see the bigger picture, we might just find what is truly best, is best for us all.

Remember, we all have a choice, so choose wisely.

What is wrong with the world?

Why do we fight each other? Why do we upset, annoy, insult, defame each other? Why do we care about only ourselves?

In hurting each other, we simply only end up hurting ourselves. We know this, if we think about it enough it becomes quite clear. Yet we still do it. I know I do. Why? I think it is because we have somehow or another been conditioned such that our automated response to a lot of situations is one of an angry defensive nature. That is to say, we automatically react badly. We don’t  seem to be able to help it. Someone mistreats us and it is our nature, or so it seems, to mistreat them back. This would almost be acceptable if it actually solved anything, but it doesn’t. We just end up carrying around all this extra baggage, this fear, this mistrust and anger – we take it with us everywhere we go, and we unleash it without any control.

I believe we can change this. If we think about it, if we work on it, work hard, dilligently and carefully we can make a change so deep inside ourself, that we break free of our conditioning. If we consciously make the effort to change the way we act, and react, bit by bit, piece by piece, eventually, our automated responses will change too. Come along and stand beside me, and try to become a better person as I do. Let’s start making these changes here and now, and let’s keep making them. We will learn to once again, smile and never stop smiling.