Welcome,
I'm really glad that you're here taking this time to pause and reflect.
Even though we may not be in the same room right now,
There's something really powerful about practicing together in this way and knowing that others may also be listening,
Also exploring these same qualities of heart and mind.
Today,
I'd like to share a few reflections on empathy.
It's something we all possess and we all value,
And yet,
When we look closely,
Empathy often shows up right in the middle of life's messiness and complexity.
And that's not a problem.
That's actually the practice.
Empathy is such a beautiful quality of the heart.
When we hear the word,
We might imagine a kind of pure,
Open presence,
Just caring for another without complication.
But,
If we look honestly at our lives,
Empathy is rarely that simple.
It usually shows up in the middle of a very human mix of thoughts,
Emotions,
And reactions.
The Buddha described life as the arising of the 10,
000 joys and the 10,
000 sorrows,
And every moment is layered with pleasant,
Unpleasant,
And neutral experiences.
So empathy doesn't mean we have to get rid of these layers to be perfectly serene.
Instead,
It's the willingness to stay present right in the middle of it all.
Think of a very simple or ordinary everyday example.
You might be standing in line at the grocery store,
And maybe someone ahead of you is moving really,
Really slowly,
Fumbling for their wallet,
And you might sense a little bit of irritation coming up.
You might be thinking,
I don't have time for this,
I've got a lot to do,
I've got somewhere to get to,
And that's real.
And then,
Maybe you notice that their hands are trembling.
Maybe they're elderly.
Maybe they're nervous.
And in that same moment,
Something softens,
And empathy arises.
That irritation doesn't have to disappear,
It's real and it's there,
But alongside it,
We might become aware of empathy.
In the Buddhist terms,
This is the middle way.
Not clinging to what we want,
Not pushing away what we don't want,
But the ability to hold both realities with awareness.
Let's see,
Another example might be you're at home,
And someone that you love snaps at you,
Right?
It happens every once in a while.
The first impulse might be defensive,
Or maybe even agitation,
Or even anger or hurt.
But,
If we take a moment to pause,
And take a breath and slow down,
We can remember a simple truth.
Just like me,
This person wants to be happy and not to suffer.
We touch the heart of compassion when we do this.
This reflection actually comes from the Brahma Viharas,
Or the four boundless qualities,
Loving kindness,
Compassion,
Empathetic joy,
And equanimity.
They remind us that empathy is part of our natural capacity,
Even when it's hard to access.
The Buddha also spoke of interdependence,
How all beings and all experiences are connected.
When we sense this directly,
Even in small ways,
We allow empathy to flow more easily.
We recognize this person's fear,
Their stress,
Their confusion,
It's not separate from me.
It belongs to the human experience and the human condition that we all share.
So,
Mindfulness practice supports our ability to feel empathy in the midst of complex experiences and situations.
It helps us pause just long enough to notice what's happening inside me,
What's happening for the other.
And we discover,
When we do this,
That empathy isn't about fixing or making everything smooth.
It's just about seeing clearly and allowing the heart to respond with care.
So,
Let's try a very brief practice together.
If you like,
You can gently close your eyes,
Or you can just soften your gaze.
Still your body.
Take a few steady breaths,
Allowing the body to settle wherever you happen to be.
Now see if you can bring to mind a recent interaction with someone.
Maybe something small,
Maybe a little more charged.
See if you can notice what feelings arose for you in that moment.
Pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Neutral.
And now,
See if you can take a step back and imagine the same interaction from a different perspective,
From the other's perspective.
Imagine what might it have been like for them.
What feelings were present for them.
Notice if anything shifts in your heart as you hold both perspectives at once,
Your own and theirs.
And now take another breath,
And gently coming back into the present moment.
As you go about the rest of your day,
You might carry this simple question with you.
What's it like for them right now?
It doesn't erase the messiness of life,
But it opens the door for empathy to arise.
Thank you for sharing this practice together.
May we continue to meet the joys and sorrows of life with an open heart,
Even in the midst of complexity.
