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Today's
Meditation:
There
are many benefits to developing a compassionate nature,
many things that we can contribute to the world if we do
so. When we become compassionate human beings, not
only do we spread compassion but we spread the experience
of being compassionate to everyone who witnesses it.
And our acts of compassion can act as lights--rainbows, if
you will--which reflect and illuminate the promise of a
better world in which love and compassion are the norms
for all people.
Do
we wish to contribute light to the world, or
darkness? If we wish to contribute light, compassion
is absolutely necessary. Compassion is the ability
and willingness to see and understand what other people
are going through and to act accordingly. That man
might have just been rude to me, but he also might have
been up all night worrying about the possibility of his
business going under. That woman might have just
talked to me in a very condescending tone, but she's
probably dealing with a strong sense of insecurity that
causes her to try to talk down to other people.
Compassion
isn't blindly and lamely accepting any bad behavior that
other people act out on us, but it is trying to understand
where someone is coming from and trying to help them reach
points at which bad behavior no longer happens.
Compassion shines light into the darker areas of our lives
and the lives of others, allowing us to see what the
deeper problems may be and to deal with them on their own
terms.
Do
you want to cause joy in the lives of others? Show
compassion. Do you want to turn your own life into a
satisfying series of joyful experiences? Show
compassion. Do you want to contribute regularly to
the positive sides of life? Then you know what to
do. . . .
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