I've recently been reading the book How to See Yourself As You Really Are, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In it, His Holiness comments on the value and meaning of compassion. As I read his thoughts, it strikes me that the definition of "compassion" I received growing up is not the same as the way His Holiness explains it.

His Holiness says, "Compassion opens our own inner life, reducing stress, distrust, and loneliness." Yet, the version of "activist compassion" I learned as a youth left me very stressed out for the poor and oppressed, and distrustful of power in most forms. I was left lonely too - like a lone visionary struggling against a larger society that valued only greed and destruction.

But that's not what His Holiness is recommending that we cultivate.

Many years of practice opened up a deeper compassion - com as in "shared with" and passion as in "desire or aspiration". I came to realize the shared aspirations of all people, and through that lens, I came to see that the awkwardness and even destruction sometimes created is truly a misdirected attempt at security and prosperity for those we love.

This view reduced stress ("the problems of this world are natural"), increased trust ("of course all people are trying to do the right thing, to their view"), and gave me a warm feeling of connection to all people - even the destructively confused.

From that humble but meaningful success I concluded that this must be what is meant by compassion in the Buddhist tradition. I also concluded that language, combined with our deep personality inclinations, can lead us astray.

What view are you cultivating? Does it open up your inner life, reducing stress, distrust, and loneliness?