ABSTRACT
Compassion helps us bridge the tension between acceptance and change. Unlike passive forms of acceptance, which breed resignation and cynicism, compassion embraces an active form of acceptance through which an expanded self can be awakened. The quality of compassion is not just something we need to extend to others; it is one of the greatest gifts we can offer ourselves. In Eastern philosophies and religions such as Buddhism, compassion towards self as well as others is taught as a powerful means of liberating and healing ourselves. Compassion is one of the most powerful resources available to us. When exercised through the filter of ‘wise mind’ it allows us to connect directly to the wisdom of our hearts and enables us to temper the logic of our rationally-driven, goal-focused selves with a profound sense of interconnectedness.
