Day Five

“True compassion comes about as the result of the awakening of our true nature that is accompanied by the lucidity of pure consciousness and the direct experiences of emptiness as the nature of reality.”

                To be honest, I haven’t really had time today to do anything other than shop and wrap presents. It is only now, as I am getting ready to go to bed, that I have even had time to look at today’s lesson. But since I have committed myself to this project, I refuse to let one day pass that I do not take at least a little time to contemplate the daily lesson, and write about my thoughts and experiences.

                I have never been a big fan of reality. Reality is cold and harsh and filled with unhappiness and sorrow. The good thing about reality is that it only takes a slight shift to bring a little light into someone’s world. When it comes to showing compassion, I have always favored the innocent as more deserving; not that I believe adults should be allowed to suffer, just that I believed children to be more in need of the compassion. With that train of thought in mind, my friend and I picked a child from a local angel tree to buy gifts for this year. It wasn’t much, some clothes and a few toys, but it makes us smile knowing that that one little girl will have a happier Christmas morning because we were able to donate a little thought, a little time, and a little money.

                As a generalization, most people feel more willing to give and show compassion during the holidays. Almost everyone I know is willing to donate food, blankets, warm clothes, toys, and many other things. But what of the rest of the year? There are people who suffer and are sad every day of the year. Most of us, though, would rather not think about such things all year long. The people who are truly compassionate, however, coordinate food donations and help out is so many other ways all year long.

                If I am to become a truly compassionate person, I need to open my eyes to the world around me; to see the bad along with the good, and I need to care enough to do something about it. If one in twenty people were to wake up tomorrow and decide that they want to make a positive difference in the world, we could start a powerful movement of caring, compassion, and peace. Maybe it won’t happen today, but I for one would be happy to see it happen sometime during my lifetime.