From The Daily OM: July 29, 2010
In the Presence of Difficulty Compassion True compassion recognizes that all the boundaries we perceive between ourselves and others are an illusion. Compassion is the ability to see the deep connectedness between ourselves and others. Moreover, true compassion recognizes that all the boundaries we perceive between ourselves and others are an illusion. When we first begin to practice compassion, this very deep level of understanding may elude us, but we can have faith that if we start where we are, we will eventually feel our way toward it. We move closer to it every time we see past our own self-concern to accommodate concern for others. And, as with any skill, our compassion grows most in the presence of difficulty. We practice small acts of compassion every day, when our loved ones are short-tempered or another driver cuts us off in traffic. We extend our forgiveness by trying to understand their point of view; we know how it is to feel stressed out or irritable. The practice of compassion becomes more difficult when we find ourselves unable to understand the actions of the person who offends us. These are the situations that ask us to look more deeply into ourselves, into parts of our psyches that we may want to deny, parts that we have repressed because society has labeled them bad or wrong. For example, acts of violence are often well beyond anything we ourselves have perpetuated, so when we are on the receiving end of such acts, we are often at a loss. This is where the real potential for growth begins, because we are called to shine a light inside ourselves and take responsibility for what we have disowned. It is at this juncture that we have the opportunity to transform from with! in. This can seem like a very tall order, but when life presents us with circumstances that require our compassion, no matter how difficult, we can trust that we are ready. We can call upon all the light we have cultivated so far, allowing it to lead the way into the darkest parts of our own hearts, connecting us to the hearts of others in the understanding that is true compassion.
thank you so much Lisa, that helps a lot. I know he tried to blame me for so much stuff, but like I told all of his family and mine none of that added up to a divorce. I do realize it's his needs, it just hurts so bad to think how many years he's
How funny....i only very recently (within last week) read the coconut oil articles on the web. (100 uses, 80 uses etc.) so i bouht some and ordered some from amazon. (Im a stockpiler.)
Have started trying some of the uses. I tried using it a
Very well said Olga and beautifully explained,
That was beautiful Olga. And you are so right on in your explanation. Thanks for sharing. -dyna
Glad you enjoyed it. I didn’t write it, though. It comes from The Daily OM, a website from which I get daily inspirational e-mails. They’re usually pretty right on.
Wow Olga, had to put my thinking cap on for this one. Please give me a further on this part.;
when we are on the receiving end of such acts, we are often at a loss. This is where the real potential for growth begins, because we are called to shine a light inside ourselves and take responsibility for what we have disowned. It is at this juncture that we have the opportunity to transform from with! in.
I have to admit, MG, that this sentence had me scratching my head too. I’m basing my interpretation on the sentence earlier in the piece ‘We extend our forgiveness by trying to understand their point of view; we know how it is to feel stressed out or irritable’. I think what they mean in the confusing sentence you cited is that it may not be easy to ‘understand’ a violent act, because it would require acknowledging the potential for violence within us. That is, we may not be as willing to acknowledge the darkest parts of ourselves (wow, that sounds dramatic, lol), such as potential for violence, as easily as we would acknowledge ‘stress’ or ‘irritability’. Does that make sense?
I think I can add a little to what you said so well. When we are offended it is usually about a quality that we possess and we have not recognized it. So if we look deeply into ourselves to find that quality, we become more connected to the person who offended us. And our percieved boundaries, which are just illusions, melt away. WOW!
Guess I wasn’t understanding how deep something has to go to understand the basis. If we’re just talking about everyday things, road rage, irritability just to name a few, then I can see it. I’m too literal and think there are some things that may not be in everyone. The evil that lurks within. Being empathetic to a person who will murder for example is not neccessarily going to show up in our inner selves. I hope. (talk about drama). I don’t think this will help with all things. So, must have missed the boat. Is there another coming along?
As for another coming along……..that’s up to the folks at Daily OM. lol. The e-mails are free if you want to sign up. Just go to dailyom.com. It’s a ‘spiritual’ and ‘inspirational’ site, as opposed to ‘religious’.
very , very, good Olga…this is where I try to come from myself in my life…To think and act beyond ourselves is a skill worth working toward. I am a very empathetic and compassionate person….That actually comes natural for me. But, I have to learn to separate myself emotionally sometimes, for my own safe being. You are so right about the growth and transformation from with in. I believe that God is the center of this growth..the source of this light. Through contemplation and prayer I feel that I have changed and grown a lot the last few years, since I became a Gramma….And, it was a choice that I made because I wanted to be all that I could be friends, family and strangers alike…..=]
A wise person knows that we can only truly change ourselves. It is a process that takes some courage as we have to confront our own shortcomings. Not an easy task in a culture that shies away from personal responsibility. I bet you’re a fantastic grandma!
Thanks, Olga…I really try…=]