COMPASSION EXERCISE
Honesty with yourself leads to compassion for others.
Objective: To increase the amount of compassion in the world.
Expected Result: A personal sense of peace.
Instructions: This exercise can be done anywhere that people congregate (airports, malls, parks, beaches, etc.). It should be done on strangers, unobtrusively, from some distance. Try to do all five steps on the same person.
Step 1: With attention on the person, repeat to yourself: “Just like me, this person is seeking some happiness for his/her life.”
Step 2: With attention on the person, repeat to yourself: “Just like me, this person is trying to avoid suffering in his/her life.”
Step 3: With attention on the person, repeat to yourself: “Just like me, this person has known sadness, loneliness, and despair.”
Step 4: With attention on the person, repeat to yourself: “Just like me, this person is seeking to fulfill his/her needs.”
Step 5: With attention on the person, repeat to yourself: “Just like me, this person is learning about life.”
Variations:
1. To be done by couples and family members to increase understanding of each other.
2. To be done on old enemies and antagonists still present in your memories.
3. To be done on other life forms.
~ Harry Palmer, ReSurfacing, Techniques for Exploring Consciousness
Yes, I know, you may already have a pretty good idea of just how this exercise would work but why not actually go do it and see for yourself? See if it brings you a personal sense of peace. That’s worth trying, don’t you think?
Now, you realize that each step above is nothing more than inner dialogue, right? Well, inner dialogue with focused attention. Our minds are powerful things and, like Bikram says, they can so easily be our worst enemies. But they can also be our best friends, my friend. Either way your mind is well worth exploring and controlling.
So go do the Compassion Exercise above. Do it earnestly. You’re worth it, my friend. And know that not only will you benefit, but so will the rest of the world.