True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. Therefore, a truly compassionate attitude towards others does not change even if they behave negatively. Through universal altruism, you develop a feeling of responsibility for others: the wish to help them actively overcome their problems.~ HH Dalai Lama ~
If we had true "universal altruism" we would need fewer rules and regulations. If we all practiced reasoned compassion, what a civilized world we would live in.
Happy Love Thursday!
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5 comments:
If only......
One person at a time. Love to you, too! :-)
i love bamboos. wanting to get a plant for my home. your picture just reminded me.
Wanda, I love how your quotations and commentary so often nail an issue with which I am grappling. Too often, I respond judgmentally rather than compassionately, especially where harm is involved. It is a constant struggle, in the face of one person injuring another, to replace anger with compassion.
Here, the Dalai Lama speaks only of the wish to help. Should we turn that wish to action? If so, when? And how?
How do we, for example, help the person who traffics in people, and especially in children? How do we help the person torturing prisoners in Guantanamo, Iran, or Saudi Arabia? How do we help the corporate mogul who risks lives, perhaps the future of all life on the planet, for short term profit and greed?
Closer to home, how do we help the office power-grabber who systematically lies, sometimes destroying reputations and careers, on her climb toward the glass ceiling? How do we help the man who beats his wife and children? How do we help the mother who can feel no love for her child, who expects her child to serve her, and who constantly reminds the child of his "duty" to her, a duty he can never fulfill to her satisfaction?
Cruelty knows so many forms. These are some of the true-life stories with which I struggle for compassion every day. Sometimes, when I feel guided by a love greater than my own, I offer help. When I stand for peace, I pray for love to envelop those who feel compelled to injure others, a love I do not yet feel.
What do you do, Wanda?
I believe you understand my position on HH.
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