Uncomplicated Compassion

We may think of compassion as pity or concern for the suffering of others. It also can come from the heart as a way of acknowledging another’s beingness.

A friend told me a story about the Dali Lama: She attended a retreat at which the Dail Lama taught, and he was late for every session. He was taking time to greet each person who lined up between the hotel and the stadium—busboys, maids, hotel clerks, etc. Each soul was acknowledged.

The compassionate gaze of true love from the Dali Lama took in the whole being of each person. That means every part of the human being is accepted, no part left out.

Compassion then allows for humanness, all our foibles, the parts of ourselves we blame and the parts we praise. All is included in loving compassion.