Compassion in Action

Thanks for joining me on this two month journey exploring tools and ideas to cultivate compassion. We started last week by understanding what compassion is and why it’s important.  As a reminder, compassion is about noticing that someone is a suffering, connecting with it and then being moved to do something, even something small, to lessen their suffering.  We all have moments of suffering, it’s just part of living. Suffering comes in many forms: physical pain or difficulty, illness, grief, anxiety, depression, stress, sadness, fear, isolation, etc.  Compassion is about responding to suffering with care and kindness.  And it’s an essential part of being a good human being.

Compassion is good for all of us.  It leads to inner peace, inner strength and resilience, greater confidence.  It creates deeper and more harmonious relationships with family, friends and community.  And it is the ultimate source of joy.  

I learned a lot about the value of compassion when I travelled to beautiful Bhutan in 2023 (known for their Gross National Happiness index). The Bhutanese believe that the pathway to joy, love, peace, fulfillment and success is compassion. And they live this belief everyday, it’s the foundation of their Buddhist tradition.  They prioritize and cultivate compassion as they engage with others in their society, through prayers and mantras, by spinning prayer wheels, placing mani stones and hanging prayer flags…all carrying the powerful Sanskrit mantra of compassion and love: OM MANI PADME HUM.

Every life journey will be richer, happier, more inspiring and successful if we actively cultivate compassion for each other. And the world will be a much more peaceful and harmonious place. 

So let’s continue our journey, finding our own ways to cultivate compassion.  

To practice compassion, you have to first notice that someone is in distress and to step towards that suffering rather than disconnect from it.  We have to let go of our judgements and open our hearts. Our mindfulness practices help us to do this, as they train us to be more fully aware and present for our experiences of each moment, within ourselves and with other people, without judgement.  When you are fully present, you are able to see and even feel the suffering of others. 

Slow down, breath, really see the other person and feel what they are feeling. 

If you see suffering or pain of any kind, think about how you can help to bring some relief.

This week, let’s think about how we can respond to the suffering of someone else. Can you think of one way each day that you can offer a small act of compassion to a friend, family member, neighbour or even someone you don’t know?  Caring kindness is compassion in action. Here are some ideas to inspire you.  

1. Just listen, fully, without judging.  If someone you know is in pain or distress of any kind or experiencing difficulty, know that you don’t need to fix it or even offer solutions. You just need to be fully present, to create space for them to feel whatever they are feeling and to feel supported.  Give them your complete and undivided attention.

2. Reach out with a kind word. If you know of somebody who is suffering or experiencing difficulty, send them a message of care, a kind word to let them know you are thinking of them.  Sometimes it’s hard to reach out to people who are suffering.  But a call, a card or a message may mean the world of difference to them. 

3. Give a loving hug.  Sometimes a big, warm, loving hug is all you need to offer to help someone feel cared for.

4. Offer a helping hand to someone in need without being asked.  Many people who need help find it hard to ask for it.  So if you see they need help, why not do it without being asked. Even a small gesture can be a big relief.  

5. Welcome warmly. Is there somebody new to your neighbourhood, work or an event? Being new is always stressful.  Welcome them warmly and sincerely and they will feel more at ease.  And you may even make a new friend.

6. Donate to the local food bank. Recognizing that many people are suffering in these difficult economic times, think about donating food (or better yet money) to your local food bank. It’s an easy way to help relieve somebody’s suffering, even if you don’t know them.

7. Choose forgiveness. Let go of the small irritations and frustrations you may feel about someone or some situation. When you allow space for others to be imperfect you offer the same gift back to yourself.

8. Take a minute to send a prayer of peace to the world.Set a timer, same time each day (I chose noon), and at that time stand still and close your eyes if you can, place your hands over your heart and send out a prayer or a wish for wellbeing and peace in the world.  Find your own words, or try chanting the mantra OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI. OM is the primordial sound of the universe, SHANTI is the sound for peace thus invoking peace and harmony for all beings.  Feel it in your heart as you send your prayer to the world.

9. Dedicate your yoga practice to someone in need. At the start of your practice, set an intention to offer the benefits of your practice — the peace and calm, the sense of grounding — to a person you know (or even someone you don’t know) who needs some support.

10. Send love and compassion out to the world on the sound waves of your singing bowl.Sound is vibration. Sounding a singing bowl, ringing some chimes or a bell causes waves of vibrations to ripple out into the world to other people.  So use these enchanting sounds to send waves of loving kindness and positive vibrations to the rest of the world.