2023-08-25-Gil-Joy of Compassion (5 of 5) Joyful Action

3:13PM Aug 25, 2023

Speakers:

Gil Fronsdal

Keywords:

feel

action

compassion

joy

ease

care

preoccupations

suffering

urgency

world

appreciation

activity

compassionate

act

hurrying

aspiration

challenged

sense

richer

natural outgrowth

So hello, and welcome to this fifth talk on the joy of compassion. And today's the fifth aspect, the element that we contribute to create a healthy beneficial compassion for this for ourselves in the world. And that is action. And usually compassion is very closely associated with action, the action of care the action of doing something to alleviate the difficulties, the challenges are suffering of others, or ourselves. But to have the joy of it, to enjoy the activity of compassion is something it's sometimes in short supply. Sometimes, we don't consider that that activity of compassion that whether it's a simple activity of being a listener for someone or offering, well wishing for someone, or whether it's a big thing that we do, and maybe it takes a long time to really care and tend to someone who's sick or something that we don't often think about looking at looking at the activity that we're doing is a source of joy or something, it will generate a sense of well being or a lightness or that somehow we feel kind of more at ease in doing it. Sometimes the reason for that is that the the need for compassion, and what stimulates it catalyst for it, is so the suffering is so great, it's so challenging that it's so there's so much injustice, there's so much oppression, there's so much poverty, there's so much suffering, so much unfairness that we're trying to care for and support people who are experiencing these things. And we could feel our own despair, our own anger on sense of urgency or own sense of, of overwhelm, all kinds of things come along. And so they get swept out there, those feelings kind of influence the way in which we do the action, the action, these odd those feelings come along with the action. But to trust the action, like think of it almost stepping into a new phase, a new dimension, almost where yes, we can have these feelings, for sure. But the action we step into is like stepping into a new activity, a new room, a new world, in doing the action, not to deny what we're feeling. But to not be held in check by it not be unduly caught in it, and feel like okay, now that I'm prepared to offer my care, my Compassionate Care for some situation. This is what's important. This is what's valuable. I've prepared myself well. I've been I've brought a lot of awareness to myself and to the situation studied it got to know it. I've become attuned to it. I'm in harmony with it. I'm not stressed around it or not aversive to it or not, you know, indifferent to it or not really connected to it. I'm connected. And I'm at ease. I mean harmony, in a certain kind of way with this. I am attuned to what's happening. I understand the others really well enough. It's not just my projection and my my my preoccupations which are driving me. And there's a an appreciation of the people I'm going to support. It's not only the horror, the distress that I feel around how terrible it is that I've taken the time to really respect these people and what is respect? What is appreciation here? What is valuing this people, whatever being that there, at least we're equal. We're I'm not there to help or to fix. I'm there to serve, their welfare to support and then there's an aspiration which is a beautiful part of a human being. So those are the foundations and then when we get ready to act, to enter into the action is if the quality that the The way in which we act is part of the message that we act in such a way that people appreciate the activity, the ease, the calm, the generosity, the love, the well being. Without, we don't, they don't feel our actions as being like where it's a heavy burden we're carrying, or we're stressed, we're pushing we're, but they feel something very different. And that people can be nourished by the ease the well-being by which we do things. And they can be troubled when were troubled. So to engage in the action, not to look for the joy and the action was you can look for the joy and awareness or attunement or appreciation or an aspiration, but with action, not to look for it, but rather to generate it, to step into the action. And try to find a way you do it with grace, with ease with peace with a nice way of doing it. Don't don't have a sense of urgency unless there's a you know, sometimes we have to act quickly. But we don't have to hurry. There's a difference between quickness and hurrying. I think of hurrying we're losing ourselves, to do things fast, we don't have to lose ourselves, we can stay present. To do it, do it in a way that it's an enjoyable way of doing it. We enjoy doing this. We like it. And and is it okay to do this? Do we have permission to do it? The proposal is that it actually makes the compassion richer, more valuable for the world and for ourselves. It helps make the compassion sustainable over time. It helps us to appreciate it's really good to be compassionate, I enjoy it, I want to do it, there's more value in it than just what we're how we're helping people. So also value for me, I feel better I feel lighter from doing it. And so when we act compassionately, to, as I said, not just just to be the book for the joy. act in a way that brings joy or brings enjoyment, brings lightness brings ease. And and then, as I've said the it's sustainable over time, and so much better, more comes out of it. One of the things that comes out of it is that the if you're doing something that's in contact with someone, so you're in touch with them, I think that their relationship becomes richer, there's a spark, there's a love, there's a joy, there's a sense of rapport between, it's really nice, sometimes done, I've done compassionate actions for something, and I was so dutiful in how I did it. And a matter of fact, that did it, that I didn't actually take the time to have a report with the person I was doing with. And I've done at times where I've done things in a different way, not out of duty not have an urgency, but took my time to do it in a respectful, kind enjoyable way. And that could feel that the report then grew or developed or became more wonderful with the people that I was supporting. SO to SO to care for those that we love care for those who suffer in a way that they don't feel that would do it working so hard that they're not obligated to repay us or that they feel kind of indebted because it was so hard for us and heavy and difficult to offer ourselves with ease and freedom and joy and offer ourselves with that kind of way, even with our love for people who are going through some of the most difficult times. This world is a challenging place to live, human beings are challenged, life is difficult. And one of the things that can support it is that we care for each other, care for each other to read with respect with kindness, with the ability to listen with, with appreciation. It's a beautiful things important thing to do. And may this practice that we do be a support for us, too. Bring our compassion or our care into the world. I think it's a natural outgrowth of mindfulness practice. Because as we let go of all the all the blocks, all the barriers, all the defensiveness, all the preoccupations, we're left with a sensitive, caring heart. And what else would we do? But care for this world? So thank you very much. And

so probably now completed this series on compassion. And I'll start the new series next week. So I'm thinking of doing a series on speech, why speech, mindful speaking? And thank you all.