Compassion to us…

Starts with the simple act of noticing pain. Then, our instinctive response of being moved by this pain sparks our desire to alleviate it. From comforting a friend when they make mistakes instead of criticising them, to adopting an abandoned pet, acts of compassion often feel fulfilling; we are fully engaged in compassion only when we go beyond pity and relate to others’ pain by acknowledging suffering and flaws as a shared human experience.

Why should we be conscious about being compassionate?

Many of us walk around feeling assured that we are compassionate individuals. Afterall, we are condemn bullying, hold the door for others, and offer a listening ear when our friends are down. However, buoyed by the rushed pace of our society, we often ignore or brush past our feelings with too little introspection to be compassionate. Do we truly reflect on and immerse in our feelings such that we are able to recognise them as manifestations of humankind’s shared suffering? It is only when we sit with and acknowledge the links between our pain and others’ that we can act to take care of ourselves, others and the earth.