"
When you open yourself, you get it all. That is part of what it means to be a loving human being. To grow your capacity to be present for this incarnation and its mystery in an openhearted way. . . The point of meditation isn't to perfect yourself but to improve your capacity to love.
"
- Jack Kornfield
The Power of Compassion
In his book,
Mindful Compassion, Paul Gilbert reflects on the dictionary definition of compassion: "
being sensitive to the suffering of self and others with a deep commitment to try to prevent and relieve it."
Compassion is made up of two pieces. The first is an openness to the experience of suffering. We can accept and allow such challenges as a part of life without trying to immediately fix them or ignore them. This openness brings with it an empathy and a witnessing if we have the courage to "run towards the fire".
The second piece of compassion is an intention and action to relieve suffering. Gilbert argues that these are two very different brain processes that can become skills through practice.
How to be build this skill of compassion? One way is through the compassion meditation wherein you offer compassion to yourself and others which you can practice yourself
in this guided meditation (also available on
iTunes).
In a compassion meditation, you create an image in your mind of a loved one, a friend, a neighbor, someone who is suffering or perhaps even a difficult person in your life. You combine this image with an intention and a silently repeated phrase representing this intention:
- May you be held in compassion.
- May you be free from pain and suffering.
- May you be at peace.
Mother Teresa said, "
Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." Small acts of connection and kindness can be so meaningful. Everyday kindness shared with
a smile or friendly greeting is a perfect example.
There are so many ways we can practice compassion. As we open our heart to witness our experience and the experience of others, we heal and become strong.
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