The New Horizons Project

Compassion for Others - A Lost Necessity

December 12th, 2007 Ben Posted in Most Recent Posts, Compassion |

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” (His Holiness, the Dali Lama)

Is compassion lost in today’s society or do people simply disregard it as unimportant in their busy everyday lives? Are we really too involved with our own lives and our own needs that we do not see the need to practice compassion?

Compassion is defined as a deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it. I think as a society we observe the suffering of others, but it seems that less and less people deeply understand others suffering and feel the need to relieve it. Many see the homeless person on the street as they are out shopping and some may even offer change but only a few will stop and offer more than money, maybe a meal or even a friendly conversation. I admit that I too like many others find it easy at times, when I’m really busy, to walk on by and choose to ignore the suffering others but that does not mean that it is right.

How many people notice when others are struggling and suffering at home or at work and consciously do something about it? If you answered yes to that question then think how often you extend that same compassion to others outside of your normal relationships. If you answered no to that question then why do feel that you can not intervene to relieve other’s suffering. Compassion is not something that should be extended to others when you are feeling in the mood or when you feel the need to make yourself feel better, but should be something that you practice every minute of every day to everyone and everything around you. This will create positive energy in your life and in the lives of others around you. Compassion should not only be practiced when someone is suffering in major situations in their lives but also in every moment of everyday, even in the little everyday tasks.

People suffer all the time in their lives and others usually make the situation worse, often unknowingly, by striving to complete everything they need to by the end of their day. Often the needs of people override the suffering of others. Think on this when you next have 5 minutes (and everyone has 5 minutes in their day) - do you do everything you can to relieve the suffering of others, no matter how insignificant they may be, or do you strive to meet your own needs first.

Practice compassion, everyday in every way.