Slow Down

Dictionary.com gives this definition of compassion, based on the 2010 Random House Dictionary: "a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering." The neo-confucian manifesto in our anthology seems to define compassion differently, from both a Western perspective and an Eastern perspective. It says the "the West can learn from the East a feeling of mildness and compassion" and goes on to say that the wests definition of compassion emphasizes a man's "social services.. and warmth and love for others" but cautions that this definition, so focused on "zeal or love... if often mingled [with] the will to power" (anthology, 253). In contrast, it says that in the East "man is without qualifications considered as an end in himself," promoting "genuine respect" and a love that expresses itself through "etiquitte [which] thereby [becomes] courteous and mild... [transforming love] into compassion" (anthology, 253). The excerpt says that as compassion is "the sympathetic cosonance between he life-spirit of one's own and another's sympathetic being," (anthology 253) the Eastern ideals of compassion are nearer to this definition.

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The anthology further defines Eastern compassion ideals, namely through it's exploration of ahimsa, as defined both in Hindu religion, by Gahndi, in Jainism, and in a more general sense. It hints, much like the afore mentioned manifesto, that ahimsa, and by default many Eastern religions and the Eastern ideals themselves, goes farther then Western ideals and Christianity's ten commandments in its view of compassion and its stipulations for fulfilling it's requirements. For example, it begins by saying that while the commandment of though shalt not kill "is interpreted to mean only don't kill other humans," ahimsa extends this to mean "entire abstinence from causing any pain or harm whatsoever to any living creature" (anthology, 235). It also stresses the impossibility of fully reaching ahmisa, and the amazing, non-celestially oriented occurances that would transpire as a result of this. The bible stipulates the sinful nature of man as well, saying that "man is born spiritually dead" (Ephesians 2:3) and acknowledging the impossibility of living a sinless life, stressing that heaven and eternal life can only be reached through Jesus. However, the goal of ahimsa, which is just as impossible to reach as a sinless life is in christianity because "you have to destroy life in order to live" (anthology, 238) is not really eternal life. It has more to do with life on Earth. The anthology talks, for example, about how in the presence of one who has reached ahimsa, "all enmity ceases" and that "the practice of ahimsa will eventually culminate in the highest peace, bliss and immortality" (anthology, 238). Though ahimsa's practice will lead to immortality, this immortality seems focused more on living here, on Earth, then on making it to some sort of after-life in a different place.

Symbol of ahimsa.

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This focus on the here and now, on the Earth and all of its living beings, is also furthered by Jainism and its concentration on ecology. The anthology mentions the "thousands of pinjrapoles (animals refuges) organized and financed by Jains" in India, as well as "the Bombay Humanitarian League [which] has worked tirelessly to stop animals slaughter at religious functions" (anthology, 244). Even Gandhi, "the most famous proponent of nonviolence in the twentieth century" was "deeply influenced by Jainism," and connected it with ahimsa, "[combining] love and nonviolence" (anthology, 244).

But apart from this, and more important to me, is what I can learn from both the west, the east, their cultures, and, more specifically, their views on compassion. One thing that really stuck out to me was when the anthology said that "motive is the chief factor that underlies everything" (anthology, 238). This is EXACTLY what I was talking about in my last DB when I mentioned the Christmas spirit being the spirit of Jesus, not the dutiful giving of alms, and how compassion is to be driven by PASSION.

Gandhi.

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But perhaps what spoke to me the most, maybe because I've often considered this myself, is the West's "chief concern with speed and efficiency" (anthology, 254). I feel like this focus on progress makes it very difficult to be both "succesful" in the Western sense of being highly efficient, and find your passion, something that you will be motivated to do by love. In High School Musical, Sharpay sings a song called "I Want It All". Well, yeah. We all do. We want to make everyone else happy and yet be happy ourselves as well. But with the Western culture of efficiency, I feel like that's made extremely difficult. I think that, after awhile, after slaving away at school or work, after conforming to every social standard every invented, you have to step back, and disappoint a few people, and do what you really care about. That's when I think great things happen.

And yes, these great things might not all be about compassion. For example, I'm pretty sure I heard something about Bill Gates dropping out of college and pursuing his passion and becoming super-rich. But if Ram Dass is right, and we really are highly compassion creatures, many of us will have passions focused on and motivated by compassion, on helping other living things.

I know that meditation is about alot of different things. Finding oneness, connection, and unity, for one. But for me, meditation is also about slowing down, something in this day and age we never seem to do. And yes, you are supposed to sort of empty your mind. But when you empty your mind of all the material, and the problems that plague you, what are you left with? Yourself. Scary, I guess, being trapped in your mind with only yourself for company. I think that through meditation, through slowing down, you can get to know yourself, and if you find yourself to be compassionate, as I hope you will, you can act on this knowledge to better the world.