Devotion Is Compassion

On could say that compassion’s an expression of devotion, but it sometimes feels like it is spontaneous.

When we understand, we become confident, and can therefore be compassionate; this understanding and confidence comes from a deep appreciation of the truth about our essential nature. From a spiritual point of view (and by ‘spirituality’, I’m not referring to religious set ups), this deep appreciation is seen as devotion and it is because of this understanding and confidence that compassion naturally arises. The most significant thing, from a spiritual point of view, is that it takes the awareness away from ourselves, and we stop thinking about “me” . Of course, in our temporal life – our conventional life – we can experience devotion and compassion, but this is only to do with me and mine, and is therefore ego-orientated. Once we get an inkling of our spiritual status (which is, in essence, pure awareness) this change of perception offers a compassionate view of our secular ego-fixation because it understands the causes and conditions that give rise to ego – all the ‘me’-orientated junk going on in the mind, maintaining an illusory self image. Spirituality isn’t something high and mighty, but its understanding is superior to that of the secular, which is based on our physical (and mental) survival. Compassion is healing, because we begin to understand how situations came about, and how they are maintained. Evil is selfishness, and selfishness is banal. Once we understand compassion, we can start to put things right; compassion is being able to empathise, and thus understand the suffering of others…and ourselves. In true confidence, there is nothing to defend. We find we are happy for no reason. The present is only an expression of the past. Healing starts when we stop reacting. When we see that others are living in an illusion and are deluded about their true nature, it’s nothing to poke fun of or criticise. It’s a matter of compassionate activity which comes about by true understanding (there are four aspects to compassionate activity which cut through ego’s games: pacifying, enriching, magnetising and destroying). As you can see, there is no ‘belief’ involved here, but merely understanding and, in fact, wisdom. One no longer has a sense of poverty. It all starts by wishing people well, and finding the right language. I remember, when I was four years old, saying prayers before I went to sleep which were along the lines of “may everything be all right” and then I listed the whole family…it’s strange how we are born with a certain nature.