Gearing Up for “The Power of Compassion”

 

10.01.2021 GEARING UP FOR “THE POWER OF COMPASSION” Our second annual “Dalai Lama Global Vision Summit” launches in less than two weeks. Titled “The Power of Compassion,” this free online event is an historic investigation of the value held dearest by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Robert Thurman, Sharon Salzberg, Anne Lamott, Thubten Jinpa, and Rick Hanson are just some of the 20 renowned spiritual teachers, scientists, activists, and interfaith leaders who will share and discuss the Dalai Lama’s message of compassion and how it can better our world, from our individual lives to the health of the planet itself. The event has the personal support and endorsement of His Holiness, and is produced by Lion’s Roar in partnership with Tibet House US. Guided meditations by leading teachers and experts will help enable viewers to cultivate compassion and its benefits in their own lives. To help set your mind in the direction of compassion and care, we’ve selected three great reads from the Lion’s Roar archives. Check them out, and then register for The Power of Compassion summit (it's free!) for a more immersive experience of compassion training. The Power of Compassion is free to join. Register now, and see the full list of presenters and schedule, here. Thanks for your readership — and your practice. — Rod Meade Sperry, Editorial Director, Lion’s Roar Digital

Compassion and Wisdom A society based upon peace, harmony, wisdom and compassion is possible, says Venerable Khandro Rinpoche — but we must all begin with ourselves. Whether we call it compassion, love, caring or a Buddhist term such as bodhicitta, it means the same thing: that in your actions, speech and thought you put others before yourself. Some of us practice meditation to achieve this understanding; others are able to understand this without formal meditation. But no matter how good compassion sounds when you talk about it, it really comes down to practicing it. And no one understands you as well as you do. You need the wisdom to look inward to see what kind of a person you are.

How to Have the World — and the Life — We Want As we work to face the immediate crisis, we can’t lose sight of our hope to create a more compassionate, just, and sustainable society. Leading Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg talks to Andrea Miller about how to care for ourselves, for others — and for the future. Because we’re in it for the long haul. Andrea Miller: There’s an enormous amount of suffering in the world, particularly now. How can we avoid falling into the trap of wanting to look away from it? Sharon Salzberg: Well, sometimes we will. It’s not necessarily a trap unless we stay there. Sometimes we need a break. That is actually true. Sometimes change takes a long time. We’re not going to see immediate results, so we need to allow joy. We need a sense of community, so we don’t feel we’re struggling alone. There’s a lot of joy in community, as we feel supported in a common purpose. And meditation is a tremendous tool. We can easily get exhausted and feel overwhelmed, but meditation is resilience training. We learn how to begin again and again in our efforts, and we discover inner strengths and a sense of connection to others.

How to Practice Hugging Meditation Nothing warms the heart like a loving hug. To make the experience even deeper and more healing, Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us this practice of hugging meditation he created. Often, we’re not really there with the people we love. We get caught up in other things, like our work or the news on TV. Hugging meditation is a practice of awareness. If we’re not available, how can we hug someone? We return to ourselves to become totally present and available for the other person. If hugging isn’t done in this spirit, it’s only a ritual without content. When we’re mindful and present, hugging has a deep power to heal, transform, and bring reconciliation.

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