Traditionally, we have understood compassion to be about responding with empathy to the suffering of others. But until we realize that personal aspirations for joy, for learning, adventure and discovery are a part of the picture, we will not be able to elevate compassion to a working principle. When I think of the love I have for my wife, I also think about the things that she aspires to create in her life because this is a part of who she is. Likewise, if I am to have a working compassion for people living in poverty or war or natural catastrophe I must be aware of the dreams that they maintain for better lives. Assisting people in combatting their adversity is a good start but it must go hand in hand with a willingness to understand what fulfillment looks like from their perspective.

I agree that encouraging compassion in the areas mentioned in the boilerplate are necessary. However, these pale in comparison to the power of a single compassionate act's ability to influence others to respond in kind. People need to see individuals in their own community caring for others. The focus of all the compassion communication efforts need to be on the community level. Lets not make this another mass media publicity campaign that comes across as more of a brainwashing effort than anything else.

Love=compassion+(action/non-action)

Compassion allows the power of love to encompass one's whole being, the mind, the heart, the body, and the soul. Prayer is action but even more so, compassionate action is prayer that is answered through our deeds.

Compassion is the basis for action, en-abling connection to the Creator's heart, through which we recognize the other person as my 'relation through God'. Compassion sees the situation, has no judgement, and will help to improve it.

"Compassion happens when we can, with loving kindness, meet all the parts of ourselves. Even the bits we 'hate' and are ashamed to look at. Then we are able to see in others ....what resides in us too. Compassion, it goes without saying...is a daily practise"

Gordon Allport deals helpfully with this issue in his description of a ‘sentiment’ as an organic unity comprising both thinking and feeling which, when internalised, constitutes the basic stance or disposition from which the person responds 'naturally' in all her or his activities and relationships. ('The Individual and His Religion') Compassion is such a sentiment and absolutely central to active participation in living well as a human being. The concept 'consideration' identifies an equally rich, practical and all-embracing moral sentiment - can indeed, be seen as a close cognate of compassion. The use of these and other such key moral sentiments can afford invaluable tools for the task of discerning central features of human needs and capacities in relation to the living of a morally good life; in identifying appropriate teaching/learning experiences that help to foster their development and use in practice; and in generating broad 'indicators' that would enable 'progress' in terms of committed, insightful and responsive living as expressions of the Golden Rule to be evaluated - but, please, NOT assessed. (Relates primarily to educators, but also to several of the other categories of people referred to in the ‘Actions’ section.)

Compassion as concrete action Compassion finds its clearest expression in the actions we take to relieve suffering. These may include feeding the hungry and housing the homeless, visiting the sick and the tending those who need care. But compassion goes beyond these to listening to tales of insult and injury with a ready sympathy and an open heart even when it is we ourselves (or those we're allied with) who may have caused that suffering. Compassion includes a commitment to resolve our disputes from a basis of empathy, not emnity. It includes a willingness to understand and, when appropriate, to provide redress. In the contemporary world, compassion is inseparable from an ongoing process of learning how our choices and institutions effect those all over the planet, including those physically or ideologically remote. It calls us to sustained action to align our families, communities, governments, economic systems, and religions with our deepest and most generous sense of the needs and rights of all.

Compassionate action is BEING love. Knowing the true core essence of our being-that the only thing that is REAL is love. Acting on this truth-choosing love in every moment. Ask yourself- "How do I choose love now..and now..and now..."

Compassion is Love and Truth, in Action. Compassion can be as tangible as making a donation, or volunteering in a remote village in India. Compassion is also subtle: It is the smile we give to a homeless person; the kind word to the grocery store checker; the payment of the toll for the car behind us as we cross a bridge; and respect and patience we give to an elder who may need us to repeat ourselves. Compassion is inspiring, yet practical.

Compassion is, first and foremost, self-work -- a changing of our own heart.

Compassion reserved is compassion denied.

HH Dalai Lama's quote for this week: The modern economy has no national boundaries. When we talk about ecology, the environment, when we are concerned about the ozone layer, one individual, one society, one country cannot solve these problems. We must work together. Humanity needs more genuine cooperation. The foundation for the development of good relations with one another is altruism, compassion, and forgiveness. For small arguments to remain limited, in the human circle the best method is forgiveness. Altruism and forgiveness are the basis for bringing humanity together. Then no conflict, no matter how serious, will go beyond the bounds of what is truly human. --from The Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness: An Anthology of Writings By and About the Dalai Lama compiled and edited by Sidney Piburn, Foreword by Sen. Claiborne Pell, published by Snow Lion Publications

When we authentically connect to the divine, compassion opens in us. We can no longer stand by in the midst of suffering. Acts of love flow from us like water. We see the world with new eyes, through the lens of mending wounds, bringing love where it is lacking, and repairing the world.

“Meditation and studying the scriptures are like two sides of a coin. The engraving on that coin is selfless service, and that is what gives it its real value.” – Amma The engraving on the coin makes it recognizable and readable to others, just as acts of compassion communicate the message of our spiritual practice to others. The engraving on the coin allows us to exchange it with others in the world, just as compassionate acts allow us to exchange and extend to others the love that is the heart of all religions. Indeed, the coin without its engraving is not a coin at all.

The commitment to develop internally, one's daily effort to live more consciously; as a result compassion seeps into everyday activity such as a smile, a heartfelt compliment, a kind look, a hug or a hand.

For me God or source is love. Compassion is the experience that allows love to become manifest in human beings in the physical world. Within the silence of each of us will be found God. We are energy beings, when we find source within ourselves that compassion will manifest as love energy to everything we touch in the physical world. Why are there not classes on compassion and love as there are on so many wordly subjects. Education must be more then on wordly things, if we don't teach about the spiritual aspects of being human then we are only half teaching.

Compassion is a characteristic of a spiritually evolving society, which includes accountable politics and equitable economics, both of which are integral to harmonious foreign relations. In the exegesis of scripture, in education, in the media, and in preaching, integrating compassion into the common consciousness is absolutely fundamental to a legitimate, sincere spiritual practice.

Urged by the global challenges facing us, and inspired by the global awareness growing among us and around us, we, the organized religions of the world, stand united in an unanimous call upon all those who have faith to act now and to act every moment of our lives in the spirit of what is at the core of our beliefs: that we have compassion for every human being and every living creature in this world we share. Join us, act upon this, and be proud of what we strive for.

The idea that I have is this. For many, the action must flow into those with religion in their lives. But the action must also come from a place to teach the people that are against religion because they have been taught that religion is evil. They need to be shown that there is a brighter light to the religious realm, and a dark shadow over that of personal politics; politics that confuse people to think that religion is the worlds biggest problem.

We all seem to struggle as to where to begin in our quest for global compassion. I believe that until one can actually experience an act of compassion then all the dialogue is simply academic and philisophical. Start in your own home or your own circle of influence and find what others need (empathy). Not what you think they need but perhaps ASK what someone needs and then define it in our own actionable terms. Start small and keep it simple. The idea that there is power in positive thought and thinking is a humble way to begin. Projecting that goodwill and benevolence is what we can practice and strive for in all that we do. If you can't say something good or constructive don't say anything at all. If you have a need to express your anger, resentments or animosity then try to understand that freedom of expression comes with responsibility. If you aren't part of a solution or positive, constructive and motivating input you can consider that you are part of that problem. Complacency IS part of humanity's problem and doing something constructive and promoting yourself as having done so in a humble way as an example to others is a great beginning.

Compassion is not just a feeling. It must constantly be translated intelligently into practical, concrete action ~ in politics, in economics, in foreign relations, in the exegesis of scripture, in education, in the media, in preaching. The “action” is to bring compassion back to its original position ~ as absolutely central and indispensable to religious practice. הרחמים אינם רק רגש. חייבים לתרגם אותם תדיר בצורה חכמה לפעולה פרקטית וקונקרטית - בפוליטיקה, במדיניות חוץ, בפירוש המקרא, בחינוך, בתקשורת, ובדרשות בכתב ובעל פה. הפעולה היא להחזיר את מידת הרחמים למקומה המקורית - כמידה מרכזית, הכרחית וחיונית לעשייה דתית.

Inasmuch as the Divine Being is the greatest Actor on the stage of reality, and human beings are created in the divine image to manifest the divine attributes, each and every one of us is called to act, not just think, feel or believe. We are called to act according to our true spiritual nature: the nature of the One whose Love overflowed so powerfully that It could not be contained within Itself, but found Itself expressing Itself and reflecting Itself and revealing Itself and experiencing Itself in the overwhelming beauty of a myriad of forms of life and in the hearts of humankind. The love of God for all creation cannot be fully comprehended; but we can glimpse and know a tiny portion of its magnitude whenever we act out of love for fellow beings whose journey intersects with our own. True compassion is to act as the All-Merciful would act, in whatever spheres of life we have the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives and in the world -- to love and be loved, forgive and be forgiven, offer a helping hand to those in need and be willing to accept help from others whenever and in whatever way each one of us needs it.

The very meaning of compassion is demonstrated through action(s). On the individual level, a person would arrange one's priorities to respond to this deep feeling of oneness and interconnection with all human beings, and the universe. Compassion can inspires politicians of how to build their plans ans strategy to bring the world together, not to exercise their control and domination over other nations. The economy of the world would make a priority to eradicate poverty, and to preserve human dignity. Compassion can change the international relations to bring together all nations to end wars, and manifest peace.

Compassion is not based on belief. That is, in my opinion, a myth propagated by religion, which says that without belief, (which the church or some wise man can teach you) there can be no compassion. But even animals do things that we could recognize as compassionate, certainly within their own species and sometimes beyond that, and it is fairly certain they do not have a belief structure. I'm not at all sure it is a matter of choice either, not if one truly feels the suffering of others beyond one's own self centered concerns. Compassion is what one does, almost spontaneously and perhaps choicelessly, when one truly feels the suffering of others without conceptual filters. I tend to think it also implies some level of wisdom. There is no rule about whether compassion would always dictate concrete action. It depends on what is necessary. In some situations, the most compassionate thing may be to do nothing, or just to listen, or to allow a situation to develop on its own. Compassion may indicate stepping back to allow another responsibility. Or it might be to limit destructive behavior, or maybe just to inspire someone to go beyond where they are. Compassionate action is as various as the situations it encounters. There are no rules on that level.