Quotes About Compassion

There are two kinds of difficulties. Some are clearly problems to solve, situations that call for compassionate action and direct response. Many more are problems we create for ourselves by struggling to make life different than it is or by becoming so caught up in our own point of view that we lose sight of a larger, wiser perspective. Usually

True maturation on the spiritual path requires that we discover the depth of our wounds. As Achaan Chah put it, "If you haven't cried a number of times, your meditation hasn't really begun." A

What is man," said Chief Seattle, "without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to man.

In truly listening to our most painful songs, we can learn the divine art of forgiveness.

In the womb, every child is interdependent with its mother's body. If either of them is sick, the other is affected. In the same way we are interdependent with the body of the earth. The minerals of the soil make up our wheat and our bones, the storm clouds become our drinks and our blood, the oxygen from the trees and forests is the air we breathe. The more consciously we realize this shared destiny, the more compassion arises for the earth itself.

Almost always the roots of anger are in one of two difficult states, which arise just before the anger appears. We become angry either when we are hurt and in pain or when we are afraid. Pay attention to your own life and see if this is true. The next time anger and irritation spring up, see if just before they arose you felt fear or hurt. If you pay attention to the fear or pain first, does the anger even appear? Anger

Where we tended to be judgmental, we became more judgmental of ourselves in our spiritual practice.

Buddhist teachings put it this way: "Just as the great oceans have but one taste, the taste of salt, so do all of the teachings of Buddha have but one taste, the taste of liberation.

Mother Teresa put it like this: "In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.

When we clearly realize that the source of disharmony and misery in the world is ignorance, we can open the door of wisdom and compassion.

When we take time to quiet ourselves, we can all sense that our life could be lived with greater compassion and greater weakness.

We will match your capacity to inflict suffering with our capacity to endure suffering. We will meet your physical force with Soul Force. We will not hate you, but we cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws. But we will soon wear you down with our capacity to suffer. And in winning our freedom we will so appeal to your heart and conscience that we will win yours in the process. Martin

In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how greatly you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.

To live with great wisdom and compassion is possible for anyone who genuinely undertakes a training of their heart and mind. What better thing to do with our life?

Like the mother of the world who carries the pain of the world in her heart, you are sharing in the totality of this pain and are called upon to meet it in compassion and joy instead of self-pity.

O Nobly Born, now there is born in you exceeding compassion for all those living creatures who have forgotten their true nature. —Mahamudra text of Tibetan yogi Longchenpa

It is through virtuous conduct, through loving-kindness and compassion, and through understanding of truth that one becomes noble.

The word "buddha" means one who is awake.

Every color shines in the awakened heart.

Spiritual life may initially be focused on self-transformation, but as mindfulness and compassion grow we naturally become attentive to the values of the society around us. When we do so, we can see how the popular promise of happiness through greed and excess consumerism is increasingly shallow and false.

The Buddhist approach to this collective suffering is to turn toward it. We understand that genuine happiness and meaning will come through tending to suffering. We overcome out own despair bby helping other to overcome theirs.

Be a lamp unto yourself, make of yourself a light' were the last words of the Buddha. no teacher or outside authority can give us the truth or take it away. in the end, we will find that our heart holds the simple wisdom and unshakable compassion that we have sought all along.

Then one day you will be sitting and fear will arise, and you will feel it and recognize it and think, "Oh, this is fear, I recognize you. Welcome back." Then it is as if the fear becomes one of your friends.

The four radiant abodes are loving-kindness, compassion, joy and peace.These abodes are treasured because they are exquisitely simple, the universal expression of an open heart. When our peaceful heart meets other beings it fills with love. When love meets happiness, it becomes joy.