Charter for Compassion

November 21, 2009January 12, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/v/DCG4qryy1Dg&hl=en&fs=1

I found this video after starting to read The Case for God by Karen Armstrong. It’s a fascinating book for anyone who feels disenchanted with modern religious institutions, but who also wants to live a spiritual life. Armstrong has created a Charter for Compassion based on the Golden Rule: Do to others only what you would would want them to do to you in a similar situation. In one of her talks on TED she says that the Golden Rule, formulated by Confucius, forms the basis for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In other words, compassion is the foundation of living a joyful, spiritual life.

Published by Christine

Christine Swint’s poems have appeared in Calyx, Birmingham Poetry Review, Slant, a Journal of Poetry, Tampa Review, Heron Tree, Ekphrasis, and others. Her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best New Poets, and she has won first place prizes from the Georgia Poetry Society and Agnes Scott College. Her first collection, Swimming This, was published in 2015 by FutureCycle Press. She teaches first-year composition at a metro-Atlanta university and writes about poetry, art, hiking, and yoga at Balanced on the Edge, https://balancedonedge.blog Twitter @christine_swint View all posts by Christine

6 thoughts on “Charter for Compassion”

Susan Rae says:
November 22, 2009 at 9:33 am

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That was so moving. It made me remember the times when I was the recipient of incredible compassion, and I want to make sure that I too provide it, unconditionally, to others.

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Michelle says:
November 22, 2009 at 10:04 am

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“In separateness lies the world’s great misery, in compassion lies the world’s true strength.”

– Buddha

Thank you for the reminder, C.

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christine says:
November 22, 2009 at 11:10 am

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Susan, you’re one of the most compassionate people I know. You recognize it in others because you’re that way yourself.

I love reading the Buddha’s parables. Thanks for this inspirational quote, Michelle.

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Julie says:
November 22, 2009 at 10:01 pm

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Hi, Christine! It’s so good to see you. I love the examples of compassion people were describing in the video. It made me recall many good things people have done for me. There are so many! I have a very deep faith, but I promise not to break into a hymn…ha! ha!

Sometimes, I brush aside the Golden Rule and act like a jerk, lose my temper, etc. It’s easy to be kind, patient, gentle and humble when others are being kind to me first. The real tests for me are when other people are not kind. Sometimes I fail those tests miserably.

Thanks, Christine. You’ve given me a lot to think about, especially in the way I react to others. Have a beautiful week:)

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Rob says:
November 29, 2009 at 9:27 am

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I really like Karen Armstrong. I read ‘The Battle for God’, a history of the development of fundamentalism in Islam, Christianity and Judaism, which was quite brilliant and gave me a new perspective on the subject. Also, her autobiographical book about her time as a nun was an eye-opener.

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Nita says:
December 2, 2009 at 5:54 am

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I feel that we should go a step ahead and do unto others what they would like to be done to them. Very often we assume that just because we want to be treated in a certain way, the other does to. But we are all unique individuals and often the rules are different.

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