“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” (Dalai Lama)
“One day I looked at something in myself that I had been avoiding because it was too painful. Yet once I did, I had an unexpected surprise. Rather than self-hatred, I was flooded with compassion for myself because I realized the pain necessary to develop that coping mechanism to begin with.” (Marianne Williamson)
“If
her past were your past, her pain your pain, her level of consciousness your
level of consciousness, you would think and act exactly as she does. With this realization comes forgiveness,
compassion and peace.” (Eckhart Tolle)
"Grief
can be the garden of compassion. If you
keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest
ally in your life's search for love and wisdom."
(Rumi)
Recently,
while volunteering at the Library, I heard a man say “I saw this homeless guy
picking up a book on [some subject], what would he know about that?!” We easily
determine who people are by their looks, their dress, their interests, what
they drive, etc. What we don’t know are
all the experiences they’ve had in their life and the pain they’re carrying beneath
their skin because of those experiences.
As an example,
Eckhart Tolle, author of A New Earth
(2005), had a difficult childhood, experienced depression as an adult and
became a vagrant on the street for a number of years. During this period, he experienced “a state
of deep bliss.” Eventually he began to
write. Today he is known worldwide for
his spiritual wisdom. We never know what
God’s plan is for us – we must trust His Plan because it is greater than we can
ever imagine.
Souls come to
this earth to learn compassion and some to teach compassion. Sometimes it is actually those we least
expect who teach us compassion. At this
beautiful season, I think it is important to find compassion for ourselves and
then to take the love that that creates to find compassion for others as we
look beyond their exterior.
I recently
lost my Mother and my twin Brother – my Mother’s death was somewhat expected
for her age and illness issues; however, my Brother’s death was sudden and unexpected. At the time of their deaths, I realized they
both brought me to a higher level of compassion, for which I am grateful.
I believe we can make our
world a more compassionate place. Let’s
do this for Christmas – it will provide a gift to ourselves, to others and an
even bigger gift to Jesus!
Wishing you
and your family and friends a blessed and compassionate Christmas.
