When dealing with issues of pain, suffering, and trauma there is a common and a shared understanding that goes beyond a single town, state or a country. While we are continuously reminded through the images in our daily news about the misfortunes around the world dealing with ethnic conflict, war and economic unrest, there appears to be an increase in human interest to explore the idea of having a global identity with shared value system.
Through the active process of feeling empathy and visualizing the common thread of human experiences, we encounter and see humanity in its purest form. From movements in human rights, to exploring dialogue across religious faiths and cultural boundaries, in the heart of this interest there is a level of motivation that is rooted in compassion.
There are various ways in defining compassion and no single definition can stand on its own to explain this interaction. In general, compassion is thought of in terms of grace and true empathy. For most people, being compassionate means doing volunteer work or donating money to a charity, but the overall idea behind compassion is so much more. It is in the ability to recognize and understand the interconnected nature in all things that create a balance and a harmony throughout the world.
The basic introduction to compassion is relatively easy to grasp at an individual level. We have come to understand the idea behind compassion as a concept based in religion that taught us “to have a deep awareness of the sufferings of another coupled with the wish to relieve it”. But awareness alone is not enough bases to claim to have compassion. It is the absorption of the principles of compassion into our daily lives that remains the real challenge.
The practice of compassion in our lives has many benefits. Aside from emotional and spiritual satisfaction, making compassion a part of your daily life practices can contribute to many physical health benefits. Scientific studies suggest that people who practice compassion produce 100 percent more DHEA, which is a hormone that counteracts the aging process. The same research also found that there is 23 percent decrease in cortisol which is the stress hormone found in our body.
When we as human beings are automatically "mindful of walking in someone else's shoes" and then “treat them like you would want to be treated” this is when we achieve the highest form of maturity in compassion. At this level, compassion becomes part of our daily reality. Having compassion is of vital importance to attain successful human interaction in all areas of our lives. Many areas of our lives are affected by the lack of compassion being used as a genuine tool for successful interaction. The area of politics is a major example of how not using the power of compassion can be a hindrance to any successful and meaningful negotiations.
The conscious practice of banning compassion from politics leads to ineffective policy making. A person’s political belief and party affiliation influences greatly the view a person has of the world. The process of debate coupled with an individual’s cultural orientation shapes their behavior, which often results in losing sight of the basic goal of compassion. But this is where
the concept of “understanding without judgment” comes into play. The focus is in the ability to have dialogue and recognize commonalities in individuals. It is a daunting and at times an exhausting task to engage purely on the basis of compassion. In the alternative, what is the gain in completely banning it?
Whatever is the point in which humans achieve compassion; whether through faith or through some other means, compassion is a natural desire and often a spontaneous occurrence responding to a need. Learning to practice compassion will bring abundance of happiness not only to ourselves but to our neighbors.
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