It might start out as sympathy for other beings because they are suffering just like you are. It might take you out of your own suffering to be aware of what is happening to others around you.
It isn't always about you. Other people are suffering too.
It might start there but it doesn't end there. You begin to see how you can help people as opportunities present themselves and as you get better at helping others you find that you also are helping yourself. You find that helping others is a gift you are giving to yourself that allows you to stay alive and not self destruct.
This is what I began to find in college from age 21 on when I went to Palomar College in San Marcos which I would say was my personally most useful college experience while studying, Psychology, Anthropology and philosophy. My parents never studied psychology and when I started reading Psychology Today I realized that about 90% of what was bothering me I could lt go of because it was stuff laid on me by my parents and Grandparents and aunts and uncles. And that letting go of all of this would maybe allow me to survive my life.
I started to have compassion for myself and all other beings more and saw just how trapped in cultural BS most people are. And I realized I could let all that go because I wanted to stay alive more than I wanted to be proud of anything in my life.
Basically, what I discovered was that most pride is self killing in the short or long run and the only thing really important is compassion for yourselves and others in the long run.
All the rest of the stuff doesn't keep you alive in the first place.
So, having compassion for yourself and all other beings in the end is the ONLY thing that is going to keep you alive really in your life at all.
By God's Grace
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