I would like to explain the meaning of compassion, which is often misunderstood. Genuine compassion is based not on our own projections and expectations, but rather on the rights of the other: irrespective of whether another person is a close friend or an enemy, as long as that person wishes for peace and happiness and wishes to overcome suffering, then on that basis we develop genuine concern for his or her problem. This is genuine compassion. Usually when we are concerned about a close friend, we call this compassion. This is not compassion; it is attachment. Even in marriage, those marriages that last only a short time do so because of attachment – although it is generally present – but because there is also compassion. Marriages that last only a short time do so because of a lack of compassion; there is only emotional attachment based on projection and expectation. When the only bond between close friends is attachment, then even a minor issue may cause one’s projections to change. As soon as our projections change, the attachment disappears – because that attachment was based solely on projection and expectation. It is possible to have compassion without attachment – and similarly, to have anger without hatred. Therefore we need to clarify the distinctions between compassion and attachment, and between anger and hatred. Such clarity is useful in our daily life and in our efforts towards world peace. I consider these to be basic spiritual values for the happiness of all human beings, regardless of whether one is a believer or a nonbeliever.
~ The Dalai Lama Quotes
Self-Development Quotes on:
General, Change, Happiness, War, Dalai Lama, Projections, Emotion, Suffering, Life, Effort, Passion, Suffer, Friend, Attachment, Spiritual, Clarity, Expect, Spirit, Motion, Believe, Peace, Values, Buddhism
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Suffering is given to you that you might open your eyes to the truth.
~ Anthony de Mello Quotes
Motivational Quotes on:
Truth, Suffering, Suffer, Give, Anthony De Mello
Do you want a sign that you’re asleep? Here it is: you’re suffering. Suffering is a sign that you’re out of touch with the truth. Suffering is given to you that you might open your eyes to the truth, that you might understand that there’s falsehood somewhere, just as physical pain is given to you so you will understand that there is disease or illness somewhere. Suffering occurs when you clash with reality. When your illusions clash with reality, when your falsehoods clash with truth, then you have suffering. Otherwise there is no suffering.
~ Anthony de Mello Quotes
Inspirational Quotes on:
Truth, Suffering, Sleep, Pain, Suffer, Understand, Give, Anthony De Mello, Wise
Today we come across an individual who behaves like an automaton, who does not know or understand himself, and the only person that he knows is the person that he is supposed to be, whose meaningless chatter has replaced communicative speech, whose synthetic smile has replaced genuine laughter, and whose sense of dull despair has taken the place of genuine pain. Two statements may be said concerning this individual. One is that he suffers from defects of spontaneity and individuality which may seem to be incurable. At the same time it may be said of him he does not differ essentially from the millions of the rest of us who walk upon this earth.
~ Erich Fromm Quotes
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Individuality, Laugh, Smile, Rest, Pain, Suffer, Erich Fromm, Understand, Despair, Earth, Laughter
He who learns must suffer and even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop on the heart and in our own despair against our own will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.
~ Aeschylus Quotes
Self-Development Quotes on:
God, Wisdom, Learn, Heart, Sleep, Pain, Suffer, Fall, Despair
Don’t suffer fools or you’ll become one.
~ Timothy Ferriss Quotes
from The 4-Hour Workweek
Motivational Quotes on:
Work, Suffer
For it is only the finite that has wrought and suffered; the infinite lies stretched in smiling repose.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes
from The Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emerson, Stretch, Suffer, Lies, Spiritual, Spirit
To this military attitude of the soul we give the name of Heroism... It is a self-trust which slights the restraints of prudence, in the plenitude of its energy and power to repair the harms it may suffer. The hero is a mind of such balance that no disturbances can shake his will...
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes
from The Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Attitude, Energy, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Balance, Emerson, Power, Trust, Rest, Mind, Soul, Rust, Hero, Light, Suffer, Give, Heroism
If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Quotes
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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Secret, Suffering, Life, Suffer, History
The chief cause of suffering for human beings is an inability to have things be the way they are.
~ Unknown Quotes
Motivational Quotes on:
Unknown, Suffering, The Way, Suffer
