“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” -Mother Teresa
In speaking to many people about their dogs and why they choose to have them, the answer has come up more than once: compassion. Animals, especially dogs are compassionate creatures who are able to sense the needs of their masters–a trait that is taught by many world religions. When you think about compassion, you think about Mother Teresa and Gandhi. The truth is that compassion doesn’t just exist among a few select individuals, though some may be capable of more compassion than others. Rather, compassion is a human trait that almost all humans are capable of.
Unlike empathy, compassion is backed by action. It’s when we feel empathy for someone and act upon that in a compassionate manner. Feeling and acting are two distinguishable qualities. How important is it to show compassion towards others?
According to an article published on The Power of Positivity: “When we show true compassion, we can make tremendously positive differences in the world. Where compassion and willingness to understand and others is absent, there is a sense of hurt and a longing for love and acceptance. This ultimately appears in a physical form of negativity, including hatred and violence.”
Compassion is a core attribute of the human condition. But beyond that, it’s a necessity to the survival of humanity itself. The Dali Lama said, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
We all live in the same word, we breathe the same air. To love others is to love ourselves. To make the world a better place, a softer place, a place full of love, is to make the world we live in, that our children are raised in, a better place.
Here are some questions to ask yourself.
Ask yourself this question: If you are driving down the street in traffic and you see a man laying on the ground on the sidewalk, but you are late for work, do you stop and help the man or do you continue to drive?
Ask yourself this question: If you are driving in the pouring rain and you see an animal suffering from a hit and run on the side of the road, will you get out in the rain to help it?
Ask yourself this question: If you see someone suffering and hungry on the street, will give your last five dollars if you are fed and clothed and know where your next meal is coming from?
Worrying about the collapsed man, feeling sad about the animal, wishing we did not have homeless people are all non-action stances and does not show true compassion. Compassion is the giving of oneself to relieve the suffering of another. It’s a true shift of energy from one person to another. Compassion is a powerful energy that humans are able to move from one person to another. It is a phenomenon, a magic, and a gift. All we need to do is learn how to yield it and to desire to do so. We must choose to be the good in the world. To help our fellow humans because are all one.
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