Isn’t The Word The Same For the last three and a half years this writer has taught Yoga and Buddhism as a volunteer in a local provincial prison in Cambodia. However during this time, I have also tried to make arrangements for an Imam (Islamic leader) to come to the prison to talk with the Muslim inmates there and assist them in practicing their faith to the best of their ability. In attempting to set up this program, I also provided copies of the Koran for the Muslim inmates there. On other occasions I have provided Bibles and other reading material relating to Christianity, in addition to material on both Yoga and Buddhism. The reason for this is that I have reached a place and stage in my life where I see little or no difference between these spiritual disciplines and religions. Though they may seem vastly different to someone who is new to them, or someone who has not looked at them closely, or someone who wants to have a bias against one or the other or foolishly thinks that one is somehow better then another, a degree of practice and maturation on one’s own path will tell us that the word for all of them is the same. It is not meditation or prayer. It is not in The Dhammapada, or The Quran or The Bible. It is not in the size of the temple, church or mosque or ashram that we attend nor in the fame of such a place. It is in the practice of one thing, that being compassion. This is what Jesus, The Buddha and the knowledgeable saints and sages of Yoga and Islam all realized. If one can stand on their head for hours but can’t stand their neighbor, their ascension through the process of growth that Yoga offers them has been hindered or is stifled. If one bows in front of the Buddhist image 100 times each morning, but can not bow before their brethren on this earth, have they really gained anything from their interest in Buddhism. If one goes to church every Sunday but lives a life of greed and exploits those less fortunate then them throughout the week, what difference has their attendance to church brought them that makes the world a better place where there is more understanding between people. Compassion is something that many of us think of as being impractical. It is true that with a population on this earth that seems always impatient, confused and anxious, we may find it harder to practice compassion for others. We may not even be clear in our mind as to what compassion really means. One dictionary tells us that compassion means pity or sympathy for others. Synonyms for compassion include mercy, kindness, tenderness, and tender – heartedness, among others. The Dalai Lama gives us a good definition of compassion. He defines it as being a mental state and attitude where we wish other beings to be free from suffering and is associated with a sense of commitment, responsibility and respect to others. For some of us being exposed to such a definition may be helpful because we understand that there is an action that is associated with compassion. Maybe we are unable or unwilling to do what is necessary to assist another in dealing with their suffering but at the very least we can still be respectful to them in some manner, at the very least listening to how they feel about something. Some of us may be better able to act on compassion, because we have the time, the ability, the skill, some experience or the interest and enthusiasm for doing such a thing. Regardless of how we act on our feelings of compassion, we benefit when we understand and remember that this is the word and practice that is part of Islamic, Christian, Yoga and Buddhist teachings. The word is the same and when we understand and practice this, we are acting in the right way to both better ourselves and the world. ©2008 John C. Kimbrough (SereiSophon, Cambodia)
Posted on: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 01:04:24 +0000
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