Alexandra Chauran - Compassion Is the Key to Everything: Find Your Own Path

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Compassion is the Key to Everything: Find Your Own Path 2016 by Alexandra Chauran.

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First e-book edition 2016

E-book ISBN: 9780738747804

Book design by Bob Gaul

Cover art by iStockphoto.com / 4645860/Zeno0620

Cover design by Ellen Lawson

Editing by Laura Graves

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This book is dedicated to Janet Delpierre, who chose to be a living kidney donor. In doing so, Janet gave my mother the gift of life, gave me my healthy mother back, and gave my children the ability to meet and know their Grandma Jean. The ripples of compassion Janet spread through the universe for just one kind womans life will never end.

Table of Contents

:
Getting Along With Others Without Beating Yourself Up

:
Find Your Lifes Purpose

:
A Thoughtful Lifestyle: Your Game Plan

:
Steps Along the Path to a Peaceful Existence

:
Becoming a Beacon of Kindness for Others

Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free
Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gaind,
To bow and to bend we shant be ashamd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

Quaker Hymn Simple Gifts

Introduction

You already know that when all is said and done and youre finally finished with this lifetime on earth, your last thoughts wont be about your accumulated possessions. You know that you wont be showing off any college degrees on the wall or even telling stories about incredible travels. Instead, your thoughts and plans will center on those last moments with your loved ones. Relationships are what matter in life, and empathy and compassion are at the root of all loving relationships.

It was a conversation about compassion with my father that influenced my view of how important it is to nurture this attitude of giving to others. We were talking about my husband, then fianc, and I was trying to explain to Dad why I had chosen to marry this man over all others. As I was wringing my hands in the presence of an overprotective father, my brain was going a mile a minute trying to calculate all the things Dad might admire, respect, or value about this young man. My dad interrupted me with a single, gentle question: Is he kind to you? At the heart of it, my dad intuitively knew that his most precious daughter should be with someone who possessed this virtue above all others. Presented here is a guide to discovering this jewel of peace within yourself and sharing it with others.

Why Compassion?

Nearly all the worlds faiths and spiritual traditions have some imperative to harm none or minimize harm in some way, whether it be to others or to oneself. My own guidance comes from a rede, or advice, by Gwen Thompson that says: An it harm none, do what ye will. Now, many interpret this phrase as a proactive one rather than restrictive. This means that if you want to do something and it doesnt harm anybody, go ahead and do it. But this interpretation can release someone from some of the harm none component, as it says nothing about the situations in which harm happens when a person isnt actively doing what he or she wants to doonly the certain circumstances in which a person truly wants to do something that harms none. This interpretation may sound like an ethical stretch, but many philosophies and sacred texts seem to allow for loopholes. So why do people work so hard to interpret the teachings of the worlds religions as allowing harm? Because harming none is next to impossible, and yet we still want to encourage people to strive toward that ideal.

The directive to avoid harm includes the self, reducing dangers and injuries inflicted upon ones own life. So far so good; avoiding self-harm sounds like a no-brainer. Not harming other people can also have some wonderful benefits. Peace between people increases our personal safety as well as our ability to collaborate and find joy together. Best of all, harming none makes the individual practitioner more mindful of his or her actions. Instead of moving robotically through life, we weigh the consequences of actions carefully and assume a place of power through personal responsibility.

The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule comes in many forms in many different faiths. The gist of the Golden Rule is that you should only act toward others in a way that you would like others to act toward you. The scriptures of the world religions each phrase this in different ways but with the same thought at its heart. Treating others kindly helps others treat you nicely, and this action sends a ripple of kindness throughout the world. The Golden Rule is a discipline available for all spiritual people to embrace. When I get through a day minimizing harm to others and spreading kindness as a natural reaction, I find myself experiencing a special sort of spiritual joy. This spiritual state is what mythologist Joseph Campbell called following your bliss. The way ahead in life, though complicated and messy, is met with a light heart and a spirit of hope. As you read ahead, consider strongly the responsibility to harm none and also follow your bliss.

Gwen Thompson, as mentioned before, encouraged many to do what they truly desired to do as long as no one would be harmed. She and other spiritual thinkers painted the picture of harm none as a law that was difficult to follow but rewarding: adherents could find freedom to follow their bliss without the curse of negative consequences. What sort of negative consequences? The outcome varies across religions significantly, even though the goal of harming none is the same. Some believe there will be divine or universal retribution carried out as a matter of course. Just as every action has an equal and opposite reaction, it is thought that harm can be visited back upon the perpetrator, sometimes to an unequal or extreme degree.