Compassion Not Pity
cac.org
Compassion Not Pity
Compassion, in contrast, means that I identify with the afflicted individual so fully that I feed him for the same reason I feed myself: because we are both hungry. In other words, I have paid him attention.
Robert Zaretsky • Simone Weil’s Radical Conception of Attention
In cultivating compassion we draw from the wholeness of our experience—our suffering, our empathy, as well as our cruelty and terror. It has to be this way. Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. C
... See morePema Chodron • Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion
the compassion that usually comes when we realize that we and our fellow human beings are all fellow sufferers.
Alan Lew • This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation
Contemplation and compassion are finally coming together. This is my second gaze.
It is well worth waiting for because only the second gaze sees fully and truthfully. It sees itself, the other, and even God with God’s own eyes, which are always eyes of compassion. It is from this place that true action must spring. Otherwise, most of our action
... See moreContemplation and Compassion: The Second Gaze
Explores the importance of contemplative practice for fostering compassion, emphasizing the transition from self-centered reactions to a compassionate second gaze that aligns with divine intimacy and authentic action.
cac.orgCompassion is a form of affection. It is love’s response to pain.
David Richo • How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving
Compassion is the capacity to understand the suffering in oneself and in the other person. If you understand your own suffering, you can help him to understand his suffering. Understanding suffering brings compassion and relief.
Jason DeAntonis • How to Love (Mindful Essentials)
Compassion is born from understanding suffering, and without understanding and compassion, we cannot be a happy person.