de_paradise Posted October 5, 2009 So how do y'all cultivate compassion? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gerard Posted October 5, 2009 (edited) Sending a cloud of positive energy to humanity and mother Earth during sitting meditation and wishing the best for all sentient beings and their immense suffering. One becomes more Yin and compassionate during that time. This is how it works for me. Edited October 5, 2009 by durkhrod chogori Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lucky7Strikes Posted October 5, 2009 (edited) True compassion should arise effortlessly as a state of being. Actively cultivating it is great, but it has its limits. Hence Lao Tzu says that virtue is created when the true Virtue of the Tao is lost. When I have enough positive and blissful energy from meditation, I notice myself being better to people than before. And this not only enhances that energy, but seems to be its natural course to expand and share. 2 cents! . Edited October 5, 2009 by Lucky7Strikes Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ngtest Posted October 5, 2009 Real Compassion is intense and comes naturally. If you meditate well you may have. Better yet if you use special Buddhist mantras such as om mani padme hum or the Cundi mantra which opens up the heart chakra. When you connect to the Buddha energy, you begin to get some qualities like genuine immeasurable compassion. But until then, actively try to manifest compassionate thoughts and behaviour. It takes time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
minkus Posted October 5, 2009 I try to be understanding and kind towards people in daily life. I try hard to be kind also when not in the mood or feeling agitated. Witouth being fake. Also trying to be aware of my own bias or prejudgement towards others so its easier to recognise this wich prevents me from being compassionate. This looks simple. Pitty its not. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 5, 2009 One of my Buddhist friends here said something like: The way to cultivate compassion is to be consciously compassionate in your 'real life'. Over time your compassion will become a part of your natural essence and you will be naturally compassionate. Happy Trails! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Encephalon Posted October 5, 2009 Cultivating compassion begins by waking up to the unconscious elements that often trigger the lack of compassion in what we say and do. It is a vast subject, filled with innumerable exercises and meditations, but a contentious relationship with the world and its inhabitants becomes impossible when we wake up to the connectedness and interdependency that characterize life on earth. "World as Lover, World as Self" by Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy is a great piece on the subject. When dualistic, "us vs them" thinking and the delusion of a false and independent self is revealed, our compassion grows because we no longer recognize arbitrary distinctions between self and other. A blow to the world becomes a blow to ourselves. Of course, in the absence of such an awakening, or before this occurs, good old moral development and the practice of good manners goes a long way. It is oftentimes for me simply a matter of keeping my mouth shut. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eternal_Student Posted October 5, 2009 Compassion is like walking around with a coin bag. I can be compassionate when I have enough money to spare. When I run to the end of my savings, I need to turn inward to be compassionate to myself. Unless I am independently wealthy, which I am not, I must be slightly choosey as to whom I am compassionate to for the sake of my monetary health. I strive for independent wealth however, so I can be compassionate to all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pax Posted October 5, 2009 Practicing compassion daily in my interactions along with regular Loving-Kindness meditation seems to work best for me. From my limited understanding of Daoism, being female imbues me with more Yin to begin with so being compassionate feels very natural. I cultivate Loving-Kindness in order to extend that compassion to people less "deserving" of it if that makes sense? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 5, 2009 I strive for independent wealth however, so I can be compassionate to all. I wish you the best. May you win the next lottery! Happy Trails! Practicing compassion daily in my interactions along with regular Loving-Kindness meditation seems to work best for me. From my limited understanding of Daoism, being female imbues me with more Yin to begin with so being compassionate feels very natural. I cultivate Loving-Kindness in order to extend that compassion to people less "deserving" of it if that makes sense? Nice post Pax. And I would agree with what you said. Happy Trails! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted October 5, 2009 So how do y'all cultivate compassion? By biting my tongue. Reacting from the heart and not the head. Resisting the fear of loss. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vajrahridaya Posted October 5, 2009 Real Compassion is intense and comes naturally. If you meditate well you may have. Better yet if you use special Buddhist mantras such as om mani padme hum or the Cundi mantra which opens up the heart chakra. When you connect to the Buddha energy, you begin to get some qualities like genuine immeasurable compassion. But until then, actively try to manifest compassionate thoughts and behaviour. It takes time. Yes, it's like your burning with the fire of compassion, like you want to hug the entire cosmos, and it's too small. It's like your entire being is a blaze with the fire of service and you want the entire cosmos to rejoice in boundless liberation!! It just arises naturally, well for me it first happened through meditation... well to that degree. When I was a little kid I had compassion and it felt like a peace feeling that you wanted to share, but later when I was 20, I really experienced the explosive dynamite compassion where it feels like your entire being is going to crack open out of intense love and good feeling for everyone and you feel everyones pain as this sense of love... like a transformative feeling where pain turns to blissful relaxed love outpouring. It's an energy of connectivity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Birch Posted October 6, 2009 "When I run to the end of my savings, I need to turn inward to be compassionate to myself." I liked this. ALWAYS start with yourself! Was "Love thy neighbor as you love yourself" assuming we love ourselves? Could our problem (for some) = we don't love ourselves? But if you also realize that to be compassionate to others is also to be compassionate towards yourself - THEN we might be getting somewhere. OT we could stand to discuss dualism/duality a lot more;-) Check out the asshole who cut you off on the freeway - if you are compassionate towards him, you may save your own ass from a stress-filled day in which you would require many minor actions to compensate for the "terrible start". Depending on how you roll, the actions might be inward or outward snark and/or injury. But I don't think that compassion can replace an understanding of what's really going down. Just don't ask me what's really going down;-) I tend to err on the side of compassion;-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vajrahridaya Posted October 6, 2009 Was "Love thy neighbor as you love yourself" assuming we love ourselves? Could our problem (for some) = we don't love ourselves? Nail on head anyone? Anyone? Check out the asshole who cut you off on the freeway - if you are compassionate towards him, you may save your own ass from a stress-filled day in which you would require many minor actions to compensate for the "terrible start". Depending on how you roll, the actions might be inward or outward snark and/or injury. That's a good one, sometimes I get mad, then I feel bad, then I get to feel compassionate for both me and the other. LOL! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
de_paradise Posted October 6, 2009 Thanks for your replies. To be honest, I was hoping for even more contributions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 6, 2009 Thanks for your replies. To be honest, I was hoping for even more contributions. Maybe some of us have not accumulated enough compassion so that we had an excess to share with you? But if we keep this thread alive I am sure additional others will share their thoughts. Peace & Love! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Art Posted October 6, 2009 Kate summed it up fairly well. I've always sensed that a big problem with people today is that they don't love themselves. Good evidence for such is plain to see; think of plastic surgery, etc. One could even go as far as contemplating their spiritual pursuits as "a lacking of love for one's self".... One the other hand, could it be that one loves their self so much that they consciously choose to seek out a better way of living.... Here's my contribution: Compassion is a product of Empathy. Empathy comes from being open and unselfish. The word "open" is key here; open to perceiving another's pain and suffering. Opening our minds, our hearts.... As far as the "asshole on the freeway", we can always choose how we react. I didn't believe this at first and it is far from easy. Spending too much time thinking about how to react and one misses the chance to experience.... I must apologize, its been awhile since I have posted on a forum so my response is at best limited.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 6, 2009 Well, I think it was a very good post Art. Thanks for contributing. Peace & Love! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pax Posted October 6, 2009 Compassion is a product of Empathy. Empathy comes from being open and unselfish. The word "open" is key here; open to perceiving another's pain and suffering. Opening our minds, our hearts.... I especially like this part of your post, empathy is desperately needed in our interactions with others, being open to the shared human experience is key. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
contrivedname! Posted October 6, 2009 What exactly is compassion? that is a tricky question; i feel it is highly subjective. perhaps some folks just need that loving, helping hand type of compassion. but what of those whom feed off of (in the negative sense) these emotions that others project on them, and when these feelings are absent, they fall into a feeling of longing and despair (at not haveing these emotions constantly projected on them)? is it proper to just be "blissbunnies" towards everyone all the time? is a "loving" attitude (not necessarily speaking of intent here) towards all, always a wise course of action? "The sage isnt sentimental he treats the people as straw dogs" so to connect this to say, buddhist ideals, it would be a matter of developing upaya, to properly deal with circumstances and temperments individual to individual, instead of trying to apply a "compassion blanket" over people's precieved short comings, sufferings, etc. that said i feel that true compassion is an aspect of what makes humans sentient beings, or is a product of sentience; you choose Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 6, 2009 Hi Contrivedname!, There was another thread a while back concerning 'compassion' and I spoke to what you mentioned above. It is my opinion that there are some people who don't deserve compassion from others. And this is basically because all their problems are of their own making and they have done nothing to to solve their problems. And I will add that sometimes there are people who don't really need compassion from anyone but rather they need a swift kick in the rear. So yes, affording compassion on others should be a selective process. But that compassion should also be accompanied with assistance where needed. Peace & Love! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
