Compassion

..."it is as if compassion is like a very honest person and wisdom is like the very able person - if you join these two, then the result is something very effective." The Dalai Lama

After writing about shunning and the fundamentalist approach to it, (which I personally do not agree with) I wanted to add something, that is paramount to me, compassion and love is always the highest calling in life. How we act towards others is what defines us in the eyes of those that matter the most to us. I have not arrived at always being compassionate, but I have made it a goal. It is on my heart at all times. Do I fail ? Of course. Mindfulness, a must.

I wrote this for my other blog in Feb of this year and it remains just as important to me today as it was then.

Most parents work at teaching their children how to behave, how to accomplish certain tasks, how to become independent beings, but very few teach lessons on compassion. Oh sure parents seem to pass on their religious beliefs, morals and that sort of thing, but compassion is deeper than a set of doctrines. Compassion is deeper than love maybe. It should reach beyond the family circle, beyond those we love. It should be seen in a look, feel the pain of another human suffering. If we could be consistent as parents in showing compassion in our every day life, our children would learn by example. If we never made fun of someone, felt compassion for the elderly driver going at a snails pace, understanding that they might be feeling vulnerable and frightened with no one to help them, I suspect we would see more children that would not be bullies in the classroom, less likely to make fun of others. The old adage of "children learn by what they see" is so true in regard to compassion. People are motivated by different reasons to be compassionate, some folks see it as part of their spiritual walk, others see it simply as part of humanity, seeing no lines to cross. Compassion is born of an awareness that we all just want the same thing in life, to be happy, to be loved, to be respected. Understanding that we all have the same basic needs. Teach your children that their is more happiness in being compassionate, than in being unkind.

Melissa, Melanie with Elizabeth, one year ago.