September/October 2011 Editor's Blog
Practice the Way of Compassion
by Vicky Thompson
Editor’s Journey 2011: Return to Balance
Step 5: Practice the Way of Compassion
You’ve heard it said before, “I’m no saint.” But what if we all have a saint inside of us, a higher self that can guide us to act in compassionate ways? Compassion is a living expression of the divine feminine in action.
Join us on the editor’s journey to create a new way of living in balance rather than in power over others. Balance is the final stream of divine feminine energy that has been emerging in the world since the 20th century began. This final energy completes the four pillars of the divine feminine way: compassion, nurturing, strength and balance.
Returning to balance takes six simple steps: 1) Open to the balanced heart. 2) Affirm your commitment to peace. 3) Remember the inner warrior. 4) Create a new personal balance paradigm. 5) Practice the way of compassion, and 6) Celebrate the reunion of the masculine and feminine.
Compassion can sound so lofty, so Buddha-like. But in our changing world, compassion is needed now more than ever to create balance and peace among people.
What is compassion?
One limited view of compassion is feeling compelled to donate money to the less fortunate. But compassion plays a more important role in our lives than just evoking empathy — it moves us to see our commonalities and make compassionate choices so that we can live in peace.
The path of saints and sages can offer you a simple guide for responding to situations with choices and actions that reflect a greater compassion for humanity.
Who’s your favorite saint? As a lapsed Catholic, I still have my little statue of Saint Francis handy when I need to pray for an injured animal. But Francis is a nature saint who can teach us how to use nature as a tool of compassion.
Nature teaches us that nothing in life is permanent: economies, careers, relationships — everything changes. Nature doesn’t mourn what once was because it’s busy with what exists right now. Nature makes impermanence its greatest strength by adapting to maintain balance in any situation. Saints remind us to accept change, allowing it to be a catalyst for compassionate actions.
As a wandering soul, Francis sought to embody the spirit of the traveling pilgrim, always ready to preach the word of God and lend a helping hand to souls in need. Francis greeted the holy, the diseased, the poor and the common villager with the same salutation: “Our Lord give you peace.” He often told people that this greeting came to him through divine revelation.
Francis’s focus on seeing the highest and best in all things made him a true friend of nature. He would gently move worms lying on the road out of harm’s way. He even believed the lowly wolf was able to overcome its violent, hunter instincts when viewed through the lens of compassion. The poor, the diseased, the violent criminal were all taken under Francis’s wing.
How can we look at our brothers and sisters through the eyes of compassion, finding commonality between nature’s hunters and humanity’s perpetrators? By holding the highest and best for all he met, Francis made the greatness of every being tangible in the world.
How can you live like Francis the nature saint? Always focus on peace despite the pain of life. To do this, find a quiet spot in nature and breathe deeply. Silently say, Love most high fills me. Now silently say, I am healed by peace. Say these affirmations throughout the day to navigate the world with a compassionate heart.
Join editor Vicky Thompson on this year-long journey to balance. Find past steps at www.newconnexion.net.