Compassion Not Pity
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Compassion Not Pity
Our work also must be interwoven with compassion. Keeping the heart open while connecting on an empathetic level is essential. Certainly, we shouldn’t “out-cry” a bereaved mother, but we companion best when we allow ourselves to be moved by loss. We companion best when we walk alongside a bereaved family without trying to “fix” their pain. Their gr
... See moreAmy Wright Glenn • Holding Space: On Loving, Dying, and Letting Go
Compassion is born from understanding suffering, and without understanding and compassion, we cannot be a happy person.
Thich Nhat Hanh • The Art of Living: mindful techniques for peaceful living from one of the world’s most revered spiritual leaders
Literally “compassion” means to feel with. The word betokens more a felt solidarity with a person than positive feelings for a particular person.
Martin Laird • A Sunlit Absence: Silence, Awareness, and Contemplation
The other wing of the bird is compassion. Compassion is described in the texts as a quivering of the heart, such as when we look at the situation of others and three words arise in our consciousness: “just like me.” Compassion is the concrete manifestation of wisdom; it is wisdom applied. If we just have wisdom and no compassion, it’s a very cold,
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