Compassion is the most important virtue, it is the outgrowth of Grace and the precursor to Love. It is impossible to kill someone with Compassion and Compassion cannot put you in the poor house. Compassion, I assure you, will never leave your heart broken. This is why there are few songs about compassion and few True Compassion podcasts. No one ever lay in bed, furiously trying to out Compassion someone in an argument. There is nothing to fear in Compassion, but much to fear in its absence. So we often imagine its absence even in its presence.
Compassion, like a Cradle is portable, always warm, and fits right around us when we are feeling frail, weak, and small. It is also a lovely place to look up at the great, big, beautiful world from. Sadly, just as we may forget the cradle (or the hug) that kept us warm, we often forget or fail to notice the Compassion that has held us and told us, “You are in my heart”.
Because Compassion is so fundamental to our very humanity, and the core of the goodness we experience and share with others, it seems counter intuitive to think of Compassion as a tool. You can hammer out an agreement, but you can’t hammer out a broken heart. I’ve seen people try, it’s unpleasant. Nevertheless, Compassion, like a tool, is readily available to us. Though it might feel easier to go to Ikea and buy a cradle than it is to feel Compassion for your sister-in-law who didn’t come to your baby shower, if you learn how to feel Compassion, you will be a lot happier. And the good news is, you can feel Compassion for someone and NOT forgive them. Forgiveness is a choice and, like Grace, must be freely given. So let’s not impede Compassion by demanding anything in addition to simply being Compassionate. Remember: Even if you are mad at the baby for waking you up and peeing on you, ultimately you wish it well. Same goes, I hope, for all the people in your life.
This is the thing about Compassion: We grow it in the good moments so we can share it in the bad.
Next Week: Part 2, in which I make an attempt at a Cradle of Compassion Owner’s User Guide and Manual.
Stay tuned!