great essay. it brought to mind the words empathy, compassion, self improvement, oneness.
i wasn't sure of the difference between empathy and compassion. empathy is feeling any feeling of another. compassion is seeing another's suffering and wanting to help. the idea in this essay goes beyond either, i think, because it recognizes the healthy part of each person that we meet, that is not suffering, which gives us the opportunity to find the valuable ability or quality within our self and therefore, appreciate its value and our self. that's where the self improvement comes in not just for the observer but for the observed individual if positive feedback is given to help any part of the observed individual that needs compassion since we are not monolithic. when karma is talked about, i think of it not as having a relationship with others but what i see in the other shows me a relationship that i have with myself. so, seeing value everywhere, i.e., of another, shows the positive side of me and my establishes a connection to the observed individual, which makes oneness more than a cliche when i recognize that i can do it with everyone.
ORIGINAL COMMENT
great essay. it brought to mind the words empathy, compassion, self improvement, oneness.
i wasn't sure of the difference between empathy and compassion. empathy is feeling any feeling of another. compassion is seeing another's suffering and wanting to help. the idea in this essay goes beyond either, i think, because it recognizes the healthy part of each person that we meet, that is not suffering, which gives us the opportunity to find the valuable ability or quality within our self and therefore, appreciate its value and our self. that's where the self improvement comes in not just for the observer but for the observed individual if positive feedback is given to help any part of the observed individual that needs compassion since we are not monolithic. when karma is talked about, i think of it not as having a relationship with others but what i see in the other shows me a relationship that i have with myself. so, seeing value everywhere, i.e., of another, shows the positive side of me and my establishes a connection to the observed individual, which makes oneness more than a cliche when i recognize that i can do it with everyone.