Compassion

December 20, 2010

Introduction: What does compassion mean to you? Is it easy or difficult to define, and why? How much influence does compassion have on your day-to-day practices and activities? Why is compassion important?

To help explore the answers to these questions, I would like to use a deck of conversation cards provided by the Fetzer Institute. They were developed to help bring the power of love, forgiveness, and compassion to the center of individual and community life. The 52 cards are actually divided into each of those categories, with a quote on one side, and on the other, a topic for a discussion and something to do. (Depending on how they are received, we may explore the other two topics - love and forgiveness - similarly in the future.)

Highlights: Discussion opened with answers to the question, "What does compassion mean to you", which ranged from being empathetic, performing selfless deeds, etc.

We shared experiences of compassion from others. Many recounted times around loss of loved ones where others were genuinely compassionate in those times of grief. This reminded me of the card with the quote:

"Only other wounded people can understand what is needed, for the healing of suffering is compassion, not expertise."

- Rachel Naomi Remen in Kitchen Table Wisdom

The suggested discussion on the card was: "How do painful experiences affect your capacity to be compassionate toward others?" The activity was: "Observe, without judgment, how you react to your own and others' suffering today."

The next card had the quote:

The greatest distance in the world is the 14 inches from our minds to our hearts"

- Agnes Baker Pilgrim in Ode Magazine 

The suggested discussion on the card was: "Share an experience when you listened to your mind over your heart. When should you listed to your heart? Your mind?" It was shared that reactions may not be compassionate, and it's often only realized after the fact. The activity was: "List some recent situation s when your heart or mind dictated your actions. Note how you can allow your heart to lead more of your actions.

At this point, discussion was already running over time, so I shared three more quotes:

"When people shine  alight on their monster, we find out how similar mos of our monsters are... When people let their monsters out... it turns out that we've all done or thought the same things, htat this is our lot, this is our condition."

- Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird

"True compassion is born of the truth that we are one; that separateness is an illusion; that we are infinite beings... From this place of deep humility, we can draw limitless strength, and endless compassion."

- Erin Piatt on Charter for Compassion site

"I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak of rthe trees for the trees have no tongues."

- The Lorax in The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

The Charter for Compassion was read aloud in parts; commitments to compassion were offered on slips of paper that were chosen by the participants; and take-aways were shared.