You have become so overflowing with love, with compassion, and you want to share. It happens at the fourth center, the heart. That’s why even in the ordinary world people think love comes out of the heart. For them it is just hearsay, they have heard it; they don’t know it because they have never reached to their heart. But the meditator finally reaches to the heart. —Osho
Welcome to this week’s edition of Life Tools in which we explore the true meaning of compassion.
Compassion is often misunderstood and confused with other emotions. True compassion is the ability to be sympathetic, empathetic, as well as having the desire to alleviate another’s pain and suffering. Beyond living life at the level of “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you”, compassion looks to heal others even in instances when you would not heal yourself. There are many people we like, even love, yet the depth of our compassion for them is shallow. Perhaps fear, jealousy, resentment, guilt, or anger color our perspective and each of these emotions carry with it a certain attachment that prevents true compassion.
Remember, all compassion starts with self-compassion. If you are not rooting for yourself in every moment, how can you root for others? If you can’t empathize with your own plight, then you are not connected to your own heart. Healing others begins with healing yourself.
True compassion is independent of attachment. Imagine if our compassion could transcend our relationships and the attachment we have to them – pure sympathy, pure empathy, and pure desire to help them heal. It is the ultimate characteristic of emotional intelligence.
Awakening your inner healer guides you on a journey into the depths of your soul to awaken your magnificence beneath all your baggage, loosen your grip on it, and free your soul. I have found these emotional healing processes to be powerful pathways to forgiveness, true compassion, growth, and self-love.
You will begin to experience a better version of yourself. In essence, lightening your load and unlock a spiritual doorway that expands your understanding of meditation as a process of surrender. And that powerful energy of stillness then translates into your daily life. You will no longer find it necessary to try to be in control of every moment. Sometimes it’s okay to set your course, engage your intention, lean in the direction of your desires, take your hands off the wheel, slide over into the passenger seat, and let the universe do the driving.
So, this week let’s root for ourselves. Let’s place our attention – from the moment we awake, until the moment we fall asleep – accepting ourselves, forgiving ourselves, seeing gratitude in each moment, and allowing compassion to flow through each thought, word, and action. If we are just a bit more loving to our self this week, those around us will feel our acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, and compassion…and the world will be a better place.
Send me an email at info@davidji.com with an experience you’ve had allowing compassion to flow through you.
Peace. -davidji
Did you know that the fourth chakra is our center of true compassion?
The Anahata is located near your physical heart, in the center of your chest. You can place your hands on your heart right now and breathe in and feel the love flowing in and out of you. That’s your Anahata—your true Buddha nature. Traditionally, it is associated with the color green.
The vibration or mantra for the fourth chakra is Yaam . Several Sanskrit scholars have also said the vibration can be pronounced as Yum.
The davidji Signature Jewelry line includes chakra amulets and mantra amulets available in the online store.