Weaver Editorial June,1995(1)

Editorial

June,1995

We have many words this month. They weave a story of our need for compassion, for ourselves and our fellow humans, in communities, for all the creatures of the universe, and for Mother Earth herself.

The words dance in my head as I write, I think about the nature of compassion. The difference between compassion ,pity, sentimentality. Compassion for me is about entering someone elseÆs world, seeing the world from their perspective and taking action ,if that is appropriate, in a way that is acceptable and useful to them in their world. Pity is condescension and often disguised gloating, sentimentality without action is worthless.

In this issue we are uplifted by the Sikh view of death , which makes living such a positive experience, no sentimentality here. We have been given so many gifts and choices, how do we use them wisely? How do we make our lives count to ourselves , to those around us, and to the earth herself.

The Dalai Lama brings his learning to bear on the subject ......"True expression of non-violence is compassion" .... ôTrue compassion is universal in scope. It is accompanied by a feeling of responsibilityö. We look for help in finding our way through the maze in many ways . We see how the Tibetans used the tool of divination as an aid in making the difficult decisions we are all faced with. In having compassion for ourselves we accept all the help we can get.

Our therapy writers are practitioners of compassion at the very root of the tree, they deal with the people's sadness on a day to day basis , their writing holds the true heart of compassion in its practical application

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society teach us the value of compassion through action , or maybe it is the whales and dolphins themselves who are the teachers. Reading about Project Jonah helped me to believe that we can help. By giving dignity to animals we give it to ourselves.

I think of the old proverb ôa sorrow shared is a sorrow halved, a joy shared is a joy doubledö a simple statement but a starting point, so I take that thought with me into the coming month as I struggle to act with compassion in the face of a world in chaos.

Alex Campbell - The Editor

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