Author: clfuu

“Acting with compassion is not doing good because we think we ought to. It is being drawn to action by heartfelt passion. It is giving ourselves into what we are doing, being present in the moment—no matter how difficult, sad, or even boring it feels, no matter how much it demands. It is acting from our deepest understanding of what life is, listening intently for the skillful means in each situation, and not compromising the truth. It is working with others in a selfless way, in a spirit of mutual respect.” -Ram Dass

When has it been difficult for you to live in the present moment?

“To return to our true home, to see into our own nature, is the aim of practice. We see into our own nature by bringing light to each act of our existence, living in a way that mindfulness is present all of the time. When walking past the cypress tree in the courtyard, we really see it. If we do not see the cypress in our own garden, how can we expect to see into our own true nature?”
-Thich Nhat Hanh, in Zen Keys

Practice being fully present to the beings around you today.

“It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion” -The Charter for Compassion

How can you affirm the humanity of another today?

“Never forget, a teacher of mine once said, that every Sunday morning when you rise to preach, someone in that congregation has just suffered the broken heart that they will spend a lifetime trying to mend. Never forget that someone in that congregation has just found a way through some great desolation. Never forget that someone in that congregation is here for the first time, wondering if this will be cared for. And somewhere in that congregation there is someone grappling with a choice that will remake their life.” -Nancy McDonald Ladd, from After the Good News

How do you cultivate an awareness of the needs of others around you?

Sit with the recognition that for many folks in your midst, the grief and pain of our world has been a permanent way of life. Sit with that recognition in order to cultivate empathy for others—an ability to see the suffering of another and spur us to the internal reflection needed for us to change.

What are events in your life that have prompted you to engage in empathy?