COMPASSION, THE UNDERSTANDING ATTITUDE THAT REDUCES PAIN AND SORROW

Compassion: involvement coming from equivalence

The attunement Compassion is a soft and gentle energy that feels very nice. It embraces as it were the pain and softens it that way. The pain of the other as well as the pain of yourself. Compassion is also described with words like mercy, empathy, sympathy and softheartedness. And also with words like understanding or brotherly love.

Although pity seems the same as compassion, it often assumes a difference of level. Then the person having pity or commiseration for someone, unconsciously or consciously sees himself as better. Compassion however is by definition of equivalence. It is the recognition of what you feel or know that the other feels. It understands the similarity between people and therefore feels involvement. Because loving people feel the pain of others as their own pain. And know that easing others’ pain is also easing their own pain.

Connectedness that makes that suffering can be felt

Compassion is a form of connectedness, of solidarity. Connectedness on a heart level, feeling connected with what the other feels. How the other experiences and processes life or a certain event. This can very well be compared with the saying: misery truly loves company. It makes that you are not indifferent to the suffering of others. That you care about the other. That you can feel the pain of the other, since you feel connected. Because you see similarities between the two of you, the pain of others may very well be felt in your heart too.

It therefore brings some kind of energetic relationship, and fits to a feeling of Oneness. Because when we are all One, we are also One of heart. And love and understanding will arise in our heart for whatever touches us. This compassionate love forms the invisible bond between people and societies.

Problems, sadness and misery … or rather Compassion?

Compassion however is much wider than only pain and suffering. Although in these cases it perhaps is the most outspoken, Compassion can express itself in very different ways. Being compassionate can also be about problems, sadness, misery. About difficulties you have to overcome, but prove so difficult if you are all on your own. And about being caught up in the illusion, and not knowing exactly how to proceed.

Compassion gives connectedness, commitment and a warm heart. It will do every right-minded person good to receive understanding and a warm welcome. Through compassion there arises responsibility. Not only for yourself, but also for others and for the whole. It strengthens the cohesion between people and reduces the vulnerability of individuals, a group or even society as a whole.

Being relentless or having a loving heart

You can see how unpleasant a lack of compassion is in people who are described as ruthless. People who only have an eye for their own pain and needs. They who do everything in their power to reach their selfish goals and scare nothing at all. People who lost their humanity. Who won’t mind to kill and don’t care what their actions do with other people. The small and great dictators of this world. The ones that at the end always will be without any friends.

Exactly these people let us see what a world you get if you have a lack of compassion. They hold up a mirror to us that encourages us to feel empathy and be compassionate. It awakens the desire in us to live a compassionate life. Knowing how good it will do us as well as our world.

Compassion, the help for everything that needs to be solved

The attunement Compassion brings forth the cordiality and softness that brings people closer. You can have compassionate feelings for others, yourself, small and big groups. It can focus on personal, social or worldly issues. It is an effective means of improvement, because where understanding and compassion is, there is room for the solution.

Compassion can be used for anything that demands a solution. And then it is the listening ear, the understanding attitude, the arm around the shoulder or the warm hug that gives the other support. The feeling that others want to help you, already gives relief and comfort. Whoever is compassionate shows softness and shows understanding and love flowing from his heart. Separation is the basis for dissatisfaction, conflict, sadness and sorrow. For indifference and heartlessness. Compassion, on the other hand, brings coherence, Oneness, and this world has a lot of need for that. Moreover, Compassion is a small investment to make this world a nicer and better world.