by David T. Bruce
Inspired by Dr. Patch Adams, today has been set aside for bloggers to unite for compassion, with the hope of eclipsing the pervasive global violence that has become a staple of our collective cultures. Following in the footsteps of the Dalai Lama, the impetus for this movement is to encourage each person to show compassion for another. The Dalai Lama said that “true compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason.” He also said that “our prime purpose in this life is to help others, and if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” If we are to learn anything from this movement, it should be that if we embrace this sentiment, we can all show compassion, at least passively.
Much of the momentum behind the writing in Ethical Revolutionist is a response against the aforementioned violence that is most often justified by religious or corporate dogma. Our various cultures (the United States included) strike or condemn in the name of God (or other deity); we colonize other lands under the guise of guardian; we extract and extort from one another to acquire various resources. These are not compassionate behaviors.
Without argument, our society has been wronged. We have been unfairly attacked and judged. We have responded accordingly, understandably with a combined measure of arrogance and dignity. I do not suggest that we should turn the other cheek, nor should any society that has been unjustly mistreated. Justice demands to be served, and honor needs to be satisfied. Such is our nature. At the same time, we must choose at some point to embrace other cultures, setting aside our differences, allowing others to live their lives as they choose. And if we cannot embrace them, at least we should not deface them. This is compassion.
If we cannot walk outside of our homes and help one person with an act of compassion for whatever reason, we can choose to not hurt a person. This is compassion. “If you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” Yes, we are currently locked in a dogmatic, moralistic confrontation with various political and societal constituents of the Middle East. At one point, however, do either of our cultures or both of our cultures make the choice to leave the other to live as they choose, keeping our opinions and our ways of lives to ourselves? When and how do we decide to stop? Such a choice is a show of compassion. We will truly follow in the footsteps of Dr. Patch Adams and the Dalai Lama when we choose every day, not just today, to at least not hate if we cannot love.
The late Leo Buscaglia, a professor at the University of Southern California, once said:
I believe that you can control your destiny, that you can be what you want to be. You can also stop and say, No, I won’t do it, I won’t behave his way any more. I’m lonely and I need people around me, maybe I have to change my methods of behaving and then you do it.
We cannot control the destiny of another; we can only control our own destiny. Compassion starts with each of us. Today is a good day to start.