the ethics of compassion

[lillies1978]

Found this on the SimplyReiki yahoogroup and thought you might like it:

Re: The Ethics of Compassion
Posted by: "UziYaH" uziyah@yahoo.com uziyah
Thu Nov 8, 2007 8:04 pm (PST)
The Ethics of Compassion

Compassion is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce such suffering and to bestow kindness to all beings who suffer.

Compassionate acts are generally considered those which take into
account the suffering of others and attempt to alleviate that
suffering as if it were one's own. In this sense, the various forms
of the Golden Rule are clearly based on the concept of compassion.

Compassion differs from other forms of helpful or humane behavior in
that its focus is primarily on the alleviation of suffering.

Acts of kindness which seek primarily to confer benefit rather than
relieve existing suffering are better classified as acts of altruism,
although, in this sense, compassion itself can be seen as a subset of
altruism, it being defined as the type of behavior which seeks to
benefit others by reducing their suffering.

In Religion

The cultivation of compassion is considered a virtue in many
philosophies and in almost all major religions. For example
Buddhism, which, being based upon the idea that "unenlightened life
is suffering" (the first of Four Noble Truths), is fundamentally
based upon the concept of compassion.

The example of Christ has inspired many throughout history to love
one another as ones self, to establish hospitals, shelters and other
such institutions. Compassion can also be linked to generosity,
empathy, sympathy, and mercy.

It is Christ's example that challenges us to forsake our own desires
and act compassionately towards others, especially, but not
exclusively, towards those in some type of distress or need.

Compassion is a virtue which bestows sincere loving kindness towards all living things.

Peace be with you,

The Nazarene Way

[Hearsekid]

bUmpItY

[tadpole1]

Thank you, Lillies.

[GeoSpirit]

Yes, good one Lillies!
Thanks for sharing!

[Agent of the Revolution]

Thank you for sharing that Lillies. I'd like to add to it if I may...

To be compassionate is to know yourself at the deepest level, underneath your name and form, to know who you really are in your essence.

When you truly know yourself, when you can feel your own essence, you can feel your own oneness with all beings and all life. You know and feel the reality that, at the deepest level, you are not seporate from any other being.
When the illusion of separation is dispelled by this 'feeling-realisation', compassion is no longer an act of altruism, because when you bestow acts of kindness upon another, you are really being kind to yourself.

That's the part of you through which the feeling of compassion comes when you see another being suffering, that part that has the capacity to identify with any other being regardless of who they are in form, of what they've done, of how you feel about it. That part of you recognises the life essence of that being, even if it is heavily overlaid with negativity, and sees that it is the essence of yourself and of all beings - and so you see that it is really you who is suffering - there is no 'other'.

I would speculate that Jesus's capacity for compassion came from how deeply he knew himself in his essence, from how awakened he was, because he could feel his own oneness with everyone no matter how deeply it was covered up by negativity. Hence 'treat they neighbour as thyself'.

[lillies1978]

i agree with what you say, tho i find what you describe is "awareness" (in it's greatest potential) , that doesn't necessarily include compassion, nor is it needed to be compassionate towards another....just a thought

[Agent of the Revolution]

Thankyou for your comment. To clarify, I'm not saying you have to be deeply enlightened to be compassionate, I'm saying that the feeling inside you that arises when you see another suffering, the impulse to do intervene, comes from a recognisation of your own oneness with that being, though this may not be (and usually isn't) conscious - you may not be aware of it, you just respond to the feeling. But that feeling is enlightening because it comes from such a deep place, and by contrast the importance of external factors, often things you would usually take very seriously, is often greatly diminished.

[lillies1978]

ahhh, i see now what you mean! i never looked at it this way, but i resonate with it a lot ...thank you for sharing your thoughts here!

[GeoSpirit]

Found this on the SimplyReiki yahoogroup and thought you might like it:

Re: The Ethics of Compassion
Posted by: "UziYaH" uziyah@yahoo.com uziyah
Thu Nov 8, 2007 8:04 pm (PST)
The Ethics of Compassion

Compassion is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce such suffering and to bestow kindness to all beings who suffer.

Compassionate acts are generally considered those which take into
account the suffering of others and attempt to alleviate that
suffering as if it were one's own. In this sense, the various forms
of the Golden Rule are clearly based on the concept of compassion.

Compassion differs from other forms of helpful or humane behavior in
that its focus is primarily on the alleviation of suffering.

Acts of kindness which seek primarily to confer benefit rather than
relieve existing suffering are better classified as acts of altruism,
although, in this sense, compassion itself can be seen as a subset of
altruism, it being defined as the type of behavior which seeks to
benefit others by reducing their suffering.

In Religion

The cultivation of compassion is considered a virtue in many
philosophies and in almost all major religions. For example
Buddhism, which, being based upon the idea that "unenlightened life
is suffering" (the first of Four Noble Truths), is fundamentally
based upon the concept of compassion.

The example of Christ has inspired many throughout history to love
one another as ones self, to establish hospitals, shelters and other
such institutions. Compassion can also be linked to generosity,
empathy, sympathy, and mercy.

It is Christ's example that challenges us to forsake our own desires
and act compassionately towards others, especially, but not
exclusively, towards those in some type of distress or need.

Compassion is a virtue which bestows sincere loving kindness towards all living things.

Peace be with you,

The Nazarene Way

*bumps for the so called Mother God*

[lillies1978]

....

[GeoSpirit]

....

*shares smile*

[Hearsekid]

another bump for mother god fuck it lol

[Tear_of_the_WoLF]

LOLZ

bump to the mothaf&&kin Godddddd..................

shiiiiiiiit.

talk about it.

LOL

much love

[Hearsekid]

lmao if mother god is as hot as you say she is ill worship her lolz....

[Amethyst]

Beautiful. Thank you lillies.

[GeoSpirit]

*bumps for love*

[evergreen]

mmmmm

reading that filled my heart chakra!

it was full and warm.

thanks!