Ci. Compassion. At the root of the symbol for compassion is the symbol for “heart.” The upper part is a phonetic.
If you have a heart, you have compassion.
When it comes to suffering injustice, there are two types of people. The first says, “I can’t wait to turn around and do this to someone else.” The second says, “This was done to me, and I do not want to do it to someone else.”
When it comes to spiritual accomplishments, there are two types of people. The first says, “I will press on for myself because my knowledge was won so dearly.” The second says, “I will help others, because I know how difficult it is to walk a spiritual path.”
When it comes to facing death, there are two types of people. The first says, “My life is at an end, and I am bitter.” The second says, “In sharing, I became more than myself and cannot die.”
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I think that is an interesting definition of compassion – becoming more than yourself. By showing your caring and concern for others, and helping them, you become more than yourself. I think that is what my mother tried hard to do in her life. I cannot remember a time when she was not involved in helping someone else. Sometimes I regretted that, thinking she was neglecting her family, but I think it made me stronger and more self-reliant, and also gave me a good example to follow of helping others. I am certainly not as good at it as she was, though.
My dad was active in helping others as well. He was a scoutmaster for over 35 years. I know he helped shape a lot of young men’s lives, and several showed up at his funeral and even spoke to thank him for being there for them. My dad was the one who was always there to help me, too. When my brother went to college, I became my dad’s helper, changing oil in cars, doing household projects, painting, yardwork, etc. I still love to paint and to garden, because of my dad.
Our kids have seen some good examples of helping others as well. When my sister in law left her husband, she lived with us for several months. She returned the favor by watching the kids while I went to school. They played with neighbor children who I was watching while their parents worked. My husband teaches classes as his way of passing along his knowledge to others.
I find myself very disturbed by the self-righteous lack of compassion in this country right now. Tax breaks for the wealthy, who do not need them, while the middle and lower classes struggle. The lack of understanding that we need to provide health care in this country. The lack of compassion for those less fortunate, thinking they are just lazy people. We cannot afford this as a nation. We cannot continue to pursue only our own goals at the expense of other people, of other nations. The anger that has built up towards us is becoming universal, and the costs of that anger will be enormous. To not see this is to be blind and ignorant.
We must become more than ourselves, or we will simply die in bitterness.
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