The need for compassion

It's time for a change. Another year has sunk into the mists of history, a million new stories have been told and now we must remember to write 2007 on our correspondence. More than that, we need this mid-winter time to renew our energies, reflect on our past experiences and decide how to take our lives forwards. This is a great opportunity because, if we are clear in our intentions, we can set our new resolutions for the highest good of ourselves and others. Is not that a good way to start the New Year?

I ended my year with a very meaningful few days of retreat at Samye Ling, the Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Scotland. It was a pleasure to be part of a community which values the environment so much and indeed, whilst there, we watched Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth", together with a large party of school children who are studying Buddhism. What are we doing to our beautiful planet? How much time do we have left? And what can we do to help turn things around? Well, it transpires that there are many things we can do, including realising that we can a role to play even if only driving our cars a little less. We need to wqake up and accept our responsibility as custodians of our Mother Earth because it is coming to the point when she can no longer sustain us. As a result to seeing this film, that was the message some of those young students planned to take back to their school, too. The door to their awareness had opened. Me too, I realised that I need to become more aware and less careless; we all do, if we are to play our part and value our planet.

At the monastery, the first and last meditations of the day focused on compassion. We are talking here of the pure, unconditional compassion which radiates from our hearts to every being on earth when we are at peace within ourselves, even if they have committed the most heinous of crimes. Revenge and retributions are simply not options. The early morning meditation focused on Tara, the divine Bodhisattva of compassion, and then in the evening we sought guidance from Chenrezig, or Avolokitesvara, who is the lord of compassion. To focus in this way, every day, on our need to develop our sense of compassion touches the heart. It reminds us of our connection with every living soul and how each one of us acts radiates out into the ether and brings either light or darkness into the lives of others. We are all waves in the ocean of humanity. So, the more compassion we can all bring into our lives, the more we can diminish suffering and find happiness in our own hearts. This is something for us all to work on and become more aware of in our lives... another possible resolution for the New Year!

For the Reiki practitioner, compassion is an essential attribute which allows for the Reiki to flow in abundance. In a sense, Reiki is unbounded love and compassion. Cultivating it becomes a part of our daily life, although it is in fact a natural attribute that simply grows with our expanding awareness. Compassion radiates from the heart and the more we awaken our hearts and give out to others, the greater the contentment we will find in our own lives as well. We are talking here of wanting to be happy and of finding peace within our hearts. This is what we wish for ourselves and is surely what we also wish for others. There are so many ghastly things that humans are doing to each other in this world, right now, and yet all we want is peace! Isn't it crazy? All we can do is meditate and pray and have love and compassion for all. In that way, we can bring peace and some happiness into our own immediate world. That is a good start.

Wishing you a warm and wonderfully abundant New Year filled with love and compassion.