Compassion

https://www.ted.com/talks/joan_halifax_compassion_and_the_true_meaning_of_empathy Compassion and the true meaning of empathy Joan Halifax TEDWomen 2010. Dec 2010 Compassion Demands Fierce Strength, Not Just Tenderness Compassion is not just a gentle feeling but a powerful force that sustains humanity and all life. In a hospice in Bangalore, young women caregivers reveal the quiet strength of true compassion as they tend to the dying. Neuroscience shows compassion strengthens the immune system and builds resilience. Genuine compassion requires clear-eyed engagement with suffering, the courage to act, and the wisdom to release attachment to outcomes. •Compassion awakens when people directly face suffering without flinching or denial. •Strength and vulnerability work together to create deep, transformative empathy. •Fear and moral outrage can block compassion, leaving societies paralyzed. •Practicing compassion mobilizes the immune system and connects the entire brain. •Teaching compassion to children and leaders could reshape how care shapes the future. https://www.ted.com/talks/dayananda_saraswati_the_profound_journey_of_compassion The profound journey of compassion Dayananda Saraswati - Chautauqua Institution - October 2009 Compassion Emerges From Self-Acceptance, Not Obligation Personal growth is rooted in the shift from helpless dependency to the discovery of one's inner wholeness. Even in fleeting moments, such as an athlete's empathy for a defeated rival at Wimbledon, people reveal an innate capacity for compassion. True compassion arises not from mandates or status, but from feeling secure and complete within oneself. By acting compassionately, even before fully feeling it, people gradually tap into the deeper well of connection that unites everyone. •Empathy is universal and cannot be erased by culture, religion, or nationality. •Self-blame from early life can block the transition from consuming to giving. •Acts of compassion often begin before genuine feeling, building depth through practice. •Recognizing one's fundamental wholeness makes authentic giving possible. •Real compassion transcends occasional moments and becomes woven into daily life. Dayananda Saraswati: The profound journey of compassion | TED Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_thurman_expanding_your_circle_of_compassion Expanding your circle of compassion Robert Thurman - Chautauqua Institution - October 2009 Real Happiness Begins When Compassion Replaces Self-Concern True freedom and joy come from expanding compassion beyond personal circles to include all beings, even adversaries. Drawing on a vivid tale of a saint’s 12-year struggle before reaching genuine compassion, the speaker illustrates how even hardship can become a doorway to empathy. A seven-step meditation method helps move from clinging and hostility toward a sense of universal responsibility. This shift not only relieves personal suffering but also sparks a deeper, more lasting happiness. •Compassion is not just a feeling; it can be actively cultivated and strengthened. •Seeing others as family, even imagined as past mothers, dissolves the barrier of 'otherness.' •Loving one’s enemies is practical—happier; enemies cause less harm and conflict. •Universal responsibility means treating others' suffering as inseparable from one’s own. •Practicing compassion first benefits the practitioner, radiating outward to everyone encountered.