20 October 2021 — COMPASSION

‘Continually Widen The Horizon Of Your Compassion, DO GOOD, BE GOOD, SEE GOOD (Sri Sathya Sai Baba)

This is a ‘mantra’ I don’t find it easy to adhere to despite it being my fervent intention, and I could say my ‘mission’, to ‘DO GOOD, BE GOOD and SEE GOOD.’

The problem occurs not so much with the ‘do good’ or ‘be good’ instructions, but with SEEING good. However, kind, compassionate and caring I feel I naturally am, I am very much aware of a critical, judgemental side. a side which expects others to behave in the same way as I do.

This critical, judgemental side shows itself largely in regard to cyclists. There is a large notice on a bridge I cross many times a day which says ‘Cyclists Dismount’ of which the majority of cyclists seem to take no notice. I fantasise about standing on the bridge with a notice saying ‘Please contact me for reading lessons!’. And I have been known to remark in a loud voice ‘can’t you read’.

This attitude, of course, is not useful and probably only makes matters worse.

Time to start I think developing compassion for cyclists. My cycling days are long over having fallen off my bike and broken bones and perhaps deep down I am jealous that I can no longer cycle. And, I am not the most patient of people so I daresay if I was still cycling I would find it annoying to have to dismount and wheel my bike to the other end of the bridge.

Sometimes, all it requires to feel compassion for people of whom the rational mind is judgemental, is to put yourself in their place and by so doing SEE GOOD. It is a basic fact I feel that once you understand where someone is coming from you are able to empathise with them and cease judging and criticising.

DO GOOD BE GOOD SEE GOOD

PONDER POINTS: How I felt on reading the above was ……I feel I am able to do good when …. be good when …see good when…… I find it difficult seeing good when ….. I feel I am sometimes judgemental about …. I find it easy to empathise with people in situations such as ….