Charter of Compassion Enshrined in Empathy

https://charterforcompassion.org/A friend came to dinner tonight, she is a Buddhist, she asked me had I heard about the Charter of Compassion. I told her I had some time ago. I then went onto tell her about a lovely old guy who had been my neighbour 20 years ago when I lived in Brisbane. Only a few months ago I moved back to Brisbane and he was in my thoughts. I heard from another friend that he was very upset when myself and former partner left Brisbane. We forgot to say goodbye in the busyness of moving to the UK. Anyway, I wanted to see him and then I saw him. He has a bad stutter but always I have looked past it as I know he has a clear mind. He used to be a train driver. As we stood talking he remembered I’d been to university, he was interested to know how Paul was. Anyway, today I again was thinking of him as I have felt I want to help this man. I know he is lonely, he is in his 80’s now. He never married and had a very lonely life. Anyway, we saw each other again, and I told him I was living nearby. He then bravely asked if we could have coffee. I said of course. I was delighted as I wanted to find a way to help him. So I said I will come to his house in a few weeks, as I have some commitments over the next few weeks. I was very happy. As I left him I felt the quality of compassion surging through my heart, it was a deeply loving feeling. If I had no compassion I would say ‘ah well he made his lot in life’, but I don’t feel that, I feel we are community and I know he is alone. So I will reach out to him. I don’t feel sympathy, I feel his need for a friend. That for me is compassion. I will act on it.

We are seeing significant disconnect in society, where people are not caring about the plight of others. They just simply focus on their own interests. Not my problem will be the echo in their thinking. Or they will have a story around why they have done it to themselves. The truth of the matter is that most people at some point in their lives feel alone, if no-one is there to assist them, then what? I feel to reach out to people creates healthy relationships that are supportive and nurturing. That to me is true community.

Compassion is the extention of love in truth. This emerges from empathy, this could be me. How would I feel? This is how we connect and join as a society. Community is not driven by an economy, economy is to supply community needs. It is in common unity that true service is found.

One last thought that came to mind. Remember when September 11 occurred in the United States. People saw the planes go into the towers and there was a deep compassion for the 4,000 who were killed and those shocked. This was a beautiful emotion to witness, to see the shared humanity on the streets. What I noticed was that there were 4,000 killed in Kabul, Afghanistan as a counter strike to September 11, these people were also innocent, but there was not an outpouring of compassion equivalent to the US. I noted the discrimination of the media, and would consider the underlying belief ‘they are not us’ or ‘they are the enemy they deserve it’. The media didn’t go there at all, they are predominantly American. True compassion is universal and reaches out to all suffering as equal. This is the central point. All human beings are worthy of compassion. It is simply an opening of the mind and heart to another suffering, no matter their religion, colour or beliefs. I feel it for anyone suffering.

So here is the Charter for Compassion. Perhaps you write your own one or create one for your home or workplace.

http://charterforcompassion.org/site/#

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.