Most of us have spent our lives caught up in plans, expectations, ambitions for the future; in regrets, guilt or shame about the past. To come into the present is to stop the war.
Jack KornfieldRead
According to Buddhist scriptures, compassion is the "quivering of the pure heart" when we have allowed ourselves to be touched by the pain of life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Compassion arises from being deeply affected by the suffering of others.
This quote emphasizes the profound impact that the suffering of others can have on us, suggesting that genuine compassion comes from experiencing empathy and emotional resonance with the pain around us. It encourages the understanding that to truly care for others, one must allow their heart to respond to the realities of suffering in a heartfelt and sincere manner.
Themes
CompassionPainEmpathyHeartSuffering
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a meditation retreat to highlight the importance of compassion.
More from Jack Kornfield
All quotes βWe need courage and strength, a kind of warrior spirit. But the place for this warrior strength is in the heart. We need energy, commitment, and courage not to run from our life nor to cover it over with any philosophy-mate rial or spiritual. We need a warriorβs heart that lets us face our lives directly, our pains and limitations, our joys and possibilities.
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The questions asked at the end of lie are very simple ones: Did I love well? Did I love the people around me, my community, the earth, in a deep way? And perhaps, Did I live fully? Did I offer myself to life?
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We can bring our spiritual practice into the streets, into our communities, when we see each realm as a temple, as a place to discover that which is sacred.
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Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.
Jack KornfieldRead
When we struggle to change ourselves we, in fact, only continue the patterns of self-judgement and aggression. We keep the war against ourselves alive.
Jack KornfieldRead
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