12 July

Compassion is a sentiment finely cultivated in the heart which, on occasion, evokes an emotional response. But true love and emotion are in fact two separate things, and many times confusion has placed them together mistakenly.

Do not underestimate the importance of this fact. Love, in its highest sense, is an unconditional act of noble quality, where detachment is the means. Emotion, on the other hand, is personal, and rarely stems from thoughtful, reasoned response.

If in doubt, be sure to look for obvious clues. Your energies have lowered when your responses to certain situations become diluted by how these occurrences have affected you personally. But if you understand the situation from the perspective of one who thus surveys the scene from the summit of a distant peak and feel a strong sense of empathy with those whom are affected, then it is more likely that you are acting consciously from the heart and mind as one. In this instance you can safely say you know compassion by its name.

This is a difficult lesson to learn for how can one feel strong sentiment and all at once be unaffected, detached, aloof? The answer lies at the very heart of service, and all that it implies. The giving of oneself to others is more difficult than is often thought. You see, one never gives without receiving, even if one so receives from another soul far removed from the current situation. And one never truly gives if, in the giving, the self is thus denied its rightful needs. Remember that the highest good of all must be served, or not at all.

Be compassionate, avoid emotion and stand tall.