Compassion, Empathy, and Altruism

Compassion:  Emphasizing with someone who is suffering while feeling compelled to reduce the suffering.

While cynics may dismiss compassion as touchy-feely or irrational, scientists have started to map the biological basis of compassion, suggesting its deep evolutionary purpose.  This research has shown that when we feel compassion, our heart rate slows down, we secrete the “bonding hormone” oxytocin, and regions of the brain linked to empathy, caregiving, and feelings of plearsure light up, which often results in our wanting to approach and care for other people.                                Berkeley School of Medicine

Empathy is one thing, a good thing, but it doesn't have the oomph that compassion does.  When I'm empathetic I feel for the misfortune of others but when I'm compassionate I'm often moved to do something about it.  Altruism is more along the lines of helping someone without an emotional component.  Compassion is harder.  It means I have to combine my emotions with actions.

There are three integral factors in Buddhist meditation - morality, concentration, and wisdom.  Each one influences the other, so you cultivate the three of them together, not one at a time.  When you have the wisdom to truly understand a situation, compassion towards all the parties involved is automatic, and compassion means that you automatically restrain yourself from any thought, word, or deed that might harm yourself or others.  Thus your behavior is atutomatically moral.

This is a lifelong process, no doubt.  There are a few people in A.A. that I run into from time to time who invariably provoke feelings of dislike.  I've met people who are racist, sexist, homophobic, prone to violent imagery or words, paranoid about the intent of the government, and the like.  I have a hard time switching off my judgement gene.  I think they should change.  I think they're wrong and, even if they are, I'm not put on this earth to be the judge of anyone.  If I criticize them or talk about them behind their backs I'm not showing much compassion and I'm certainly not being spiritual.  The stories about Jeebus Christ that have really stuck with me are the ones where he defends and ministers to the weak, the Fallen, sinners and criminals.  I can't remember any Bible stories where he's talking up the rich and the powerful