hilitehead

“Since compassion is the wish that others should be free of suffering, it requires above all the ability to feel connected to other beings. We know from experience that the closer we feel towards a particular person or animal, the greater our capacity to empathize with that being. It follows, then, that an important element in the spiritual practice of developing compassion is the ability to feel empathetic and connected and to have a sense of closeness with others. Buddhism describes this as a sense of intimacy with the object of compassion; it is also called loving-kindness. The closer you feel towards another being, the more powerfully you will feel that the sight of his or her suffering is unbearable.

There are two main methods in Buddhism for cultivating this sense of closeness or intimacy. One is the method knows as ‘exchanging and equalizing oneself with other.’ Although it stems from Nagarjuna, it was more fully developed by Shantideva in his Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (Bodhicaryavatara). The other technique is known as the ‘seven-point cause and effect method.’ This emphasizes the cultivation of an attitude that enables us to relate to all other beings as we would to someone very dear. The traditional example given is that we should consider all sentient beings as our mother, but some scriptures also include considering beings as our father, or as dear friends, or as close relatives, and so on. Our mother is simply taken as an example, but the point is that we should learn to view all other sentient beings as very dear and close to our hearts.”