Thich Nhat Hanh provided this beautiful quote about compassion and embracing who we are in this world. I need to be inside of someone else`s skin to build compassion.
The essence of love and compassion is understanding, the ability to recognize the physical, material, and psychological suffering of others, to put ourselves “inside the skin” of the other. We “go inside” their body, feelings, and mental formations, and witness for ourselves their suffering. Shallow observation as an outsider is not enough to see their suffering. We must become one with the subject of our observation. When we are in contact with another’s suffering, a feeling of compassion is born in us. Compassion means, literally, “to suffer with.”
It is wisdom and insight we all could benefit from, especially in this day and age, when life is so busy that we hardly have time to be compassionate towards ourselves, never mind trying to be compassionate towards others. On the flip side, though, I think we have a tendency to hold back to a degree – not because we aren’t compassionate, but because we’re frightened by the idea of walking in the shoes of someone who is in great pain.
Having said that, I believe there is a reason for all things, including – but in no way limited to – blog postings. So, I would like to thank you for sharing this particular piece of wisdom today. I hope you have a wonderful day.
You are welcome Holly. Thank you for further insight. Your point about fear about seeing ourselves in the shoes of another is so true. It is hard.
are empathy and compassion the same thing?
They are not exactly the same, but I don’t think you can have one without the other. I think the reason they are different is compassion is also something we need to give ourselves.
ahh. I love the nuance of language. Thanks, Ivon!
You are welcome.
very insightful:)
Thank you Len
well said about compassion. Thank you, Ivon!
You are welcome Amy
That’s a great lesson to us all, that compassion can’t be passive. If we are truly compassionate, we have to do something about it.
That is so true David. We have to live it.
Reblogged this on echosfromtheabyss.
Thank you for the re-blog. It is greatly appreciated.
My Pleasure thank you so much for making it available for me to share
Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron and the Dalai Lama are three of my mainstays. And let’s not forget Rumi and Hafiz
All of those resonate and are in my library.
As I would imagine
I don’t wish to comment on this post, but do wish to convey this feeling of ……co-incidences in life.
Last night I re-watched Thich Nhat Hanh’s dvd called ‘Peace Is Every Step’ and skimmed across the books on my shelves he has Authored. It seems years since I have read/watched either. And tonight I come across your Blog, (through another Blog I follow) and read two of your posts mentioning this inspiring Vietnamese Buddhist teacher.
How very strange to bump into Thich’s name 2 nights running (after so many years absence).
Thank you for stopping today Victoria. I find the same thing with synchronicity of events. Perhaps, as I aged, I take more time and pay attention differently. I find much great teaching in the writings and teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.