Advice
leans toward practical acts of kindness
Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life is a much briefer book. Its emphasis on the
practical, rather than the theoretical, side of spirituality makes it easy to
dip into, but even with its brevity, the book doesn't oversimplify the many
religious traditions from which it draws. Compassion in the sense in which
Armstrong uses the term doesn't mean pity. It's something closer to the golden
rule in one of the many variations in which nearly every religion teaches it.
Try a Little Tenderness - online.wsj.com
But each of us can pursue that elusive goal, she suggests, by learning from the
religious tradition of our choice. Each tradition, she says, offers myths to
teach us kindness and empathy. It doesn't matter much what myths one embraces,
because, "at their best, all religious, philosophical, and ethical traditions
are based on the principle of compassion."
Book Outline
Preface - Wish for a Better World
About the TED prize and Charter For Compassion
project
Compassion Definition:
So compassion means to endure something with
another person, to put ourselves in somebody else's shoes, to feel
her pain as thought it were our own, and to enter generously into
his point of view.
Compassion can be defined, therefore, as an
attitude of principled, consistent altruism.
The 12
Steps
Chapter 1. Learn
about compassion
Reading and learning about compassion
seek out teaching about compassion
reading discussion groups
collect passages, quotes, poems that speak to you
make notes
(history of social development)
India
Buddha felt a moment of empathy that took him
out of himself p38
In order to enhance the natural impulse of
empathy and compassion, Gotama developed a special form of
meditation. p39
1. visualize loving kindness
2. visualize compassion
3. visualize pure joy
China
Confucius - family and expanding circles of
compassion
Mozi - concern for everyone
Xunzi -likening to oneself - golden rule
Abrahamic Traditions
Judaism
Hillel - what is hateful to yourself, do not
to your fellow man. This is the whole of the Torah and he
remainder is commentary. Go Study it.
Akiva - love your neighbor as yourself
Jesus - love your enemies
Paul - without love, then I am nothing at all.
Islam
no one can become a believer, unless he
desires for his neighbor what he desires for himself.
2. Look at your World
Joseph Campbell
myths - and Heroic Journey
many religious leaders did Heroic Journey
Start with Family
takes self sacrifice
make list of how family nourishes you
Workplace - how to observer the golden rule?
The Nation - a compassionate modern state
Education
What should your contribution be?
3. Compassion for Yourself
golden rule requires self knowledge, use our
feelings a guide to our behavior with others
without denying your faults (into self judgment)
practice mindfulness to distance yourself from
anger, hatred, greed.
(different view than addressing then, speaking then and see what's
underneath)
(the solution is in yourself, just be compassionate)
we all have a dark side
Meditation - 4 minds of love (a very
individualistic approach)
maitri - imaging friendships
karuna - imaging a past hurt, send it compassion
mudita - imagine joy
upeksha (self judgment p86)
compassion is to dethrone ourselves
(is compassion a conscious choice? a mater of
will?)
4. Empathy
empathy from the arts, film, plays, acting, etc
3 meditation stags
concentric circles
imagine positive thoughts
(really not much on empathy here)
5. Mindfulness
observe the way the mind works
6. Action
7. How Little We Know
Zhuangzi - this emptiness leads to empathy
perfect man has no self
threefold step
appreciate the unknown
don't be overly certain
likes mystery
Open mindedness exercises
8. How Should We Speak to One Another
Dialogue types
competitive
Socratic - understand your ignorance
listening means hear underlying message
interesting insights about fundamentalism -
attacking it doesn't help
9. Concern for Everybody
Mizi - concern for everybody
Tribalism
she proposes a lot of questioning to examine
reality
Buddhist exercise - imagine people who build the
world
let go of tirbal egoism
10. Knowledge
11. Recognition: To see oneness in yourself, your community and the world.
12. Love Your Enemies:
Notes:
the passions (4 F's) can overturn our rationality
need to transcend the 4 F's
early tribal people needed to subordinate their
personal desires for the good of the whole. p30
multiple comment on ego
we are addicted to our ego.
rules based, suppress the evil with rules,
temperance society. we must stamp out the ego
there is something wrong with any spirituality that
does not inspire selfless concern for others p51
2011-01-10 -
Twelve Concrete Ways To Live A 'Compassionate Life' - NOR Radio
"From Confucius to Oprah, people have preached compassion for centuries. But how
often is it put into practice? Karen Armstrong believes religion, which should
advocate for compassionate living, is often part of the problem. In Twelve
Steps To A Compassionate Life, she describes ways to add kindness to daily
routines".
