Christina Feldman,
Author of Boundless Heart,
Says that at the heart of compassion,
It's the invitation to turn into suffering.
I think,
If we are quite honest,
It's not necessarily an invitation we look forward to RSVP.
There are easier things to turn into than suffering,
Right?
But in reality,
As much as love and joy are part of our universal experience,
So is pain and suffering.
It's an inescapable reality.
In addition,
The invitation does not require that you stay in suffering,
Enjoy suffering,
But simply turn into suffering,
Meaning an active engagement with suffering,
Rather than passivity or avoidance.
Jack Kornfield,
One of my teachers,
Says that if your compassion does not include yourself,
It's incomplete.
And an authentic spiritual journey is not simply about self-improvement,
But it must be rooted in developing our ability to care for ourselves and others.
So let's practice that as compassion has the potential to heal our heart,
Even when pain can be fixed.
Begin by finding a comfortable posture in which you are both relaxed and alert.
You can be seated on the floor with crossed legs or on a chair with both feet grounded on the floor and hands resting on your knees.
Upright,
Not uptight.
If you prefer,
You can lay down with legs parallel and arms extended alongside your body.
Now you can close your eyes or lower your gaze.
Welcome yourself in by placing a gentle smile on your face.
Now bring your attention to your body,
Noticing any obvious sensations.
Feeling the touch points between you and the earth,
Enjoying the support that is offered to you.
Taking advantage of this support to relax.
If there is any obvious tightness or tension in the body that you can easily soften,
Please do so.
Let's take three cleansing breaths together by inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
Second time.
One more time.
To offer compassion towards others,
We need to resource ourselves with self-compassion.
And one of the obstacles to practicing is lack of self-acceptance.
So we will start with a short contemplation to turn up the volume of our tender voices.
With these reflections in mind,
Let's prepare for our practice.
What does compassion look like to you?
Is it a caring person that you have in your life?
Is it a spiritual figure?
Is it a puppy?
A warm light?
A cozy blanket?
Something that genuinely represents the relief from suffering.
Whatever it is,
Shower yourself with that energy.
Or you could also use a gesture to embody that compassion,
Like placing both hands on your heart or one hand on your belly,
Another hand on your heart.
Gentle strokes on your legs.
Give yourself a hug.
No one is looking,
So explore what feels good to you.
You can also use gentle words to offer yourself compassion.
May I accept pain without thinking it makes me bad or wrong.
May I accept my anger,
Fear,
And worry knowing that my heart is not limited by them.
May I be a good friend to myself.
Or anything else you would like to receive.
When we feel resourced with compassion for ourselves,
It becomes easier to extend it to others.
Empathy is the stepping stone to awaken compassion in our hearts,
As in order to turn into suffering and actively acting to relieve it,
Of course at the best of our current ability,
We need to be able to feel connected to others.
Just Like Me is a practice which prompts us to see our common humanity,
And this script,
Based on the work of Sharon Salzberg,
Can help us do that.
Now bring to mind someone who might be out or on the edge of the circle of your caring concern.
See the face of that person clearly and silently repeat the sentences after me.
This person has a body and mind just like me.
This person has feelings,
Emotions,
And thoughts just like me.
This person has in his or her life experienced physical and emotional pain and suffering just like me.
This person has at some point been sad,
Disappointed,
Angry,
Or hurt just like me.
This person worries and is frightened sometimes just like me.
This person is learning about life just like me.
This person wants to be content with life just like me.
This person wishes to be free from pain and suffering and to be safe and healthy just like me.
This person wishes to be happy and loved just like me.
Now allow some wishes for well-being to arise.
Wish for this person to have the strength,
Resources,
And social support to navigate the difficulties in life with ease.
I wish for this person to be free from pain and suffering.
I wish for this person to be peaceful,
Happy,
And loved.
Because this person is a fellow human being just like me.
Bring the attention back to the body.
Slowly move your fingers and your toes.
Move your head from side to side.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
Welcome back.
Remember Helen Keller's words.
Although the world is full of suffering,
It's also full of the overcoming of it.
Keep cultivating compassion for yourself,
For others,
And for the world we share.
