The Importance of having compassion for yourself and for others

"Basically, if you don't have compassion for yourself you may kill yourself directly or indirectly and if you don't have compassion for others you may kill them directly or indirectly."

So, having compassion for yourself and others keeps you alive and healthy and out of jail.

So, compassion for yourself and others is always in your own enlightened self interest as well as all others.

I learned the fullness of this over the years. I used to worship only truth but found that truth both saves and kills people (including you and me) equally. After I realized this during my 20s I started to emphasize compassion and not be quite as quick with unnecessary truth in my conversations. I realized that truth was sort of like shooting a gun in some situations. If it wasn't going to help the situation or people's lives then what was the point really?

So, kindness towards yourself and all others might make you a priest, monk or minister in your own eyes and sometimes others. But, is that such a bad thing? I think the world is a better place when people are compassionate and polite to themselves and to each other, don't you?

Try it. You'll live much longer happier lives.