Compassion

The following is taken from an interview with Karen Armstrong, the prolific writer on religious matters.  Her many books include A History of God, A Short History of Myth, The Great Transformation, to name a few.  The interview is based on her book Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life.

Despite what many people like to think, Armstrong said, there is not much true compassion being practised in the West these days. "This is not a compassionate society, no matter what we tell ourselves. We are a superficial and frequently unkind society," she said, adding that such negative qualities are often exaggerated by the mass media's focus on conflict and gossip.

In addition, Armstrong states, “most of the public believes religious leaders do precious little to promote the virtue of compassion. Most of the time when [religious leaders] come together they're either condemning some intellectual heresy, or condemning Islam, or inveighing against the West, or quarrelling about whether women can be priests or gays can be bishops. That's all you hear about, really."

At a deeper level, however, Armstrong believes all religious traditions have a great deal of value to say about compassion, which she says most people mistakenly believe means "feeling sorry for someone." Armstrong takes her definition of compassion from the Latin root, "to feel with the other."

Armstrong declares that Compassion can be summed up by the Golden Rule, which is common to every faith tradition. "You look into your own heart and refuse under any circumstances to inflict pain on anyone else." She believes people need to practice compassion every moment. “Compassion brings you into the presence of what monotheists call 'God' or what Buddhists call 'nirvana,' " Armstrong said.

Armstrong believes that compassion is central to Christianity. Jesus's apostle, Paul, taught that acts of love and compassion are more important than faith itself.

Buddhists, Armstrong added, teach that "after reaching enlightenment, man must come down from the mountaintop and return to the marketplace and show his compassion there for all living things."

One of the most famous sayings attributed to Mohammed in the Muslim collection known as the Hadith is, "Not one of you can be a believer unless he desires for his neighbour what he desires for himself."

Despite what many people like to think, Armstrong said, there is not much true compassion being practiced in the West these days.

May we all be blessed to receive and give compassion on our journey

At a deeper level, however, Armstrong believes all religious traditions have a great deal of value to say about compassion, which she says most people mistakenly believe means "feeling sorry for someone."

Armstrong takes her definition of compassion from the Latin root, "to feel with the other."  Compassion can be summed up by the Golden Rule, she said, which is common to every faith tradition. "You look into your own heart and refuse under any circumstances to inflict pain on anyone else." She believes people need to practice compassion every moment. "Compassion brings you into the presence of what monotheists call 'God' or what Buddhists call 'nirvana,' " Armstrong said. It's central to Christianity. Jesus's apostle, Paul, taught that acts of love and compassion are more important than faith itself.

Buddhists, Armstrong added, teach that "after reaching enlightenment, man must come down from the mountaintop and return to the marketplace and show his compassion there for all living things."

The Muslim holy book, the Koran, which is often stereotyped in the West as doing little more than promoting violence and extremism, is actually devoted to the ethics of compassion, Armstrong emphasized. "It's not concerned with doctrine. It's about living justly and looking after the poor and vulnerable in your community." One of the most famous sayings attributed to Mohammed in the Muslim collection known as the Hadith is, "Not one of you can be a believer unless he desires for his neighbour what he desires for himself." 

May you be blessed to give and receive compassion on your journey.