WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS
+ Continuing with the 12 styles of the Mandala process, we are exploring the style of Love and Compassion.
Compassion is a
feeling deep within ourselves —a "quivering of the heart" — and it is
also a way of acting — being affected by the suffering of others and moving on
their behalf. Buddha and Jesus are the most well known exemplars of compassion,
and it is the central ethical virtue in the two religions that developed from
their teachings.
The spiritual
practice of compassion is often likened to opening the heart. First, allow
yourself to be feel the suffering in the world, including your own. Don't turn
away from pain; move toward it with caring. Go into situations where people are
hurting. Identify with your neighbors in their distress. Then expand the circle
of your compassion to include other creatures, nature, and the inanimate world.
The practice of
compassion increases our capacity to care. It reinforces charity, empathy, and
sympathy. It is very good exercise for your heart muscle.
But when you move
toward others with compassion, you are likely to bump into some common
attitudes, just waiting to close your heart again. The usual suspects are
judgment and all its associated "isms": racism, sexism, ageism,
classism, and nationalism.
On a personal
level, your compassion is sabotaged by feelings of ill will toward others:
spite and malice. These feelings, and others arising out of emotional wounds
and personal pain, are actually symptoms indicating that you need to have
compassion for yourself.
+ “Don't turn away from pain; move toward it with caring.”
Easier said than done, isn’t it? With our continuing intention and commitment
we can “practice what we preach,” we can “walk the talk,” we can be transformed
into more effective agents of compassion,
peace, justice and sustainable abundance for all.
I invite you to reflect on ways you have been
compassionate. Bless you. I also invite you to reflect on some new ways
you can be compassionate. We always need
to keep finding ways to expand the heavenly realm of compassion so that no one
is excluded from the abundance God intends for all creatures everywhere.
+ Spirituality & Practice offers
abundant resources on the practices of Love & Compassion: The
Practice of Love | The
12s Gallery on Love | The
Practice of Compassion | The
12s Gallery on Compassion
+ The 12 styles of Mandala: Creating An Authentic Spiritual
Path: An InterSpiritual Process by Edward Bastian are listed in SE206.
+ To get inspired and illuminated by Ed Bastian, I invite you to set aside some time for these videos: Seven Steps of InterSpiritual Meditation (11 minutes) | 15 minute introduction to InterSpiritual Meditation and the Mandala Process | 2 hour lecture & conversation
+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice. And, I have work to do on my Heavenliness page. Maybe you can help. Send an email with the subject “Heavenliness” or “Love” or “Guest Post” to John@abundancetrek.com.
+ You can always find a link to any of the Spiritual Explorations posts by going to http://abundancetrek.com/sepostsaccess.html
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