What is compassion? Compassion is the desire to ease others' suffering.

2. What is compassion? • Compassion is the desire to ease others' suffering. • Compassion is a sympathetic awareness of another' distress combined with a desire to alleviate it. Kindness and caring are shown. • Service and generosity are ways that compassion can be demonstrated

3. Whydevelopcompassion in yourlife? • Physicalbenefits. • Emotionalbenefits. • Spiritual benefits. • Themainbenefitisthatithelpsyouto be more happy. • Compassionisone of themaintoolsforachievingthathappiness.

5. Howdo wecultivatecompassion in ourlife ? 7 differentpracticesthatwecan try out and perhapsincorporateintooureverydaylife. Dalai Lama

6. Step1Developa morning ritual. (Meditation) “Today I am fortunatetohavewoken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am notgoingtowasteit. I am goingto use allmyenergiestodevelopmyself, toexpandmyheartouttoothers, toachieveenlightenmentforthebenefit of allbeings.I am goingtohavekindthoughtstowardsothers, I am notgoingtogetangryorthinkbadlyaboutothers, and I am goingtobenefitothers as much as I can.”

7. Step 2PracticeEmpathy. Many times we are centeredonourselves and weletoursense of empathygetrusty.« Imagine that a lovedoneissuffering. Something terrible has happenedtohimorher. Now try to imagine thepainthey are goingthrough. Imagine thesuffering in as muchdetail as possible. Afterdoingthispracticefor a couple of weeks, youshould try movingontoimaginingthesuffering of othersyouknow, notjustthosewho are closetoyou.»

9. Tokeepempathyfromturningintosympathy, keepyourfocusontheotherperson, ratherthanallowingyourempathytoshiftyourfocustoyourownexperience and memory of suffering.[2

10. Step3Practicecommonalities. Insteadof recognizingthedifferencesbetweenyourself and others, try torecognizewhatyouhave in common. Onefavoriteexercise comes from a greatarticlefromOde Magazine — it’s a five-stepexercise: Step 1: “Justlike me, thispersonisseekinghappiness in his/herlife.”Step 2: “Justlike me, thispersonistryingtoavoidsuffering in his/herlife.”Step 3: “Justlike me, thisperson has knownsadness, loneliness and despair.”Step 4: “Justlike me, thispersonisseekingtofulfilhis/herneeds.”Step 5: “Justlike me, thispersonislearningaboutlife .”

11. Step4 Practicerelief of suffering.Once you can empathizewithanotherperson, and understandhishumanity and suffering, thenextstepistowantthatpersonto be free fromsuffering. Thisistheheart of compassion — actuallythedefinition of it. «Imagine thesuffering of a human beingyou’vemetrecently. Now imagine thatyou are theonegoingthroughthatsuffering. Reflectonhowmuchyouwouldlikethatsufferingtoend. Reflectonhowhappyyouwould be ifanother human beingdesiredyoursufferingtoend, and acteduponit. Open yourhearttothat human being and ifyoufeeleven a littlethatyou’dwanttheirsufferingtoend, reflectonthatfeeling. Then, decide whatyou can do tohelpthepersonwhoissuffering.»

12. A studysuggeststhatthe more youmeditateoncompassion, the more yourbrainreorganizesitselftofeelempathytowardsothers.[4]

13. Step5Practicetheact of kindness. « Imagine againthesuffering of someoneyouknowormetrecently. Imagine againthatyou are thatperson, and are goingthroughthatsuffering. Now imagine thatanother human beingwouldlikeyoursufferingtoend — perhapsyourmotheroranotherlovedone. Whatwouldyoulikeforthatpersonto do toendyoursuffering? Now reverse roles: you are thepersonwhodesiresfortheotherperson’ssufferingtoend. Imagine thatyou do somethingtohelpeasethesuffering, orenditcompletely. Now, performanact of kindnessfortheonewhoissuffering.»

15. Step 6Move beyond to practice compassion for those who mistreat us. Not only do we want to ease the suffering of those we love and meet, but even those who mistreat us. “Try to imagine the background of that person. Try to imagine what that person was taught as a child. Try to imagine the day or week that person was going through, and what kind of bad things had happened to that person. Try to imagine the mood and state of mind that person was in — the suffering that person must have been going through to mistreat you that way. And understand that their action was not about you, but about what they were going through. Now think some more about the suffering of that poor person, and see if you can imagine trying to stop the suffering of that person. And then reflect that if you mistreated someone, and they acted with kindness and compassion toward you, whether that would make you less likely to mistreat that person the next time, and more likely to be kind to that person. “

16. Step7Developaneveningroutine. (Medition, Prayer)Itishighlyrecommendedthatyoutake a few minutes beforeyougotobedtoreflectuponyourday. Thinkaboutthepeopleyoumet and talkedto, and howyoutreatedeachother. Thinkaboutyourgoalthatyoustatedthismorning, toactwithcompassiontowardsothers. Howwelldidyou do? Whatcouldyou do better? Whatdidyoulearnfromyourexperiencestoday?

17. Kind compassionate children: • *Recognize and express appreciation for others' talents and skills. • *Put others' needs before their own. • *Help others because they want to. • *Listen and provide sympathy. • *Show kindness without expecting rewards. • *Tell and show others they care. • *Share. • *Recognize and help those less fortunate than themselves. • *Try to make the world a better place.

18. Community service ideas…. • *Recycle aluminum cans. Put the money earned into a local food bank. • *Offer to help an elderly neighbor with their chores. • *Take a meal to someone who is ill. • *Write a letter or send a card of compassion to a victim of some recent tragedy. • *Create a school bulletin board where students and teachers can recognize people who have demonstrated great compassion. • *Choose a historical figure who represents compassion. Write and perform a short play about the person.

19. Tips on becoming more compassionate • and caring: • *Be a good listener • *Look people directly in the eye when they speak • *Look for kids at school who are being left out and invite them to join in activities • *Stick up for someone being teased • *Each week, do one nice thing for a friend or family member

20. Put compassion into action: • *Be friendly to someone who needs a friend. • *Do helpful things at home without being asked. • *Be generous with your time and your belongings. • *Create and participate in a litter control program. • *Plan and participate in food and clothing drives. • *Look for ways to help in any situation without being asked. • *Put someone else's need before your own. • *Look for ways to help in your community. • *Try to understand why a family member or friend is sad. • *Forgive someone who has hurt you. • *Talk with your family about the problems of the homeless and find a way to help.

21. You show compassion when you ... • Comfort a friend whose mother has been taken to the hospital. • Bring blankets and food to a family in need in your community. • Volunteer at a senior citizen nursing home. • Take action and stop someone who is being cruel to an animal. • Listen when people confide in you. • Give a sandwich and soda to someone living on the street. • Bring ice cream to a friend who has had his or her tonsils removed. • Can understand why your best friend is depressed about a divorce. • Send a donation to help people starving in a foreign country. • Tutor a younger child who is having trouble in school.

23. The poor do not need our sympathy and our pity. The poor need our love and compassion" - Mother Teresa

24. It was a most unusual meeting. And it happened at a convent of the Missionaries of Charity in the Bronx, New York. It was a meeting of two women one would hardly expect to find together. One was the beautiful and charming Princess Diana of England and the other was the ailing foundress of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa. Surely, they were two of the best known women in the world, though coming from two totally different backgrounds. As they drew close, the aging Mother Teresa lifted herself from her wheel chair and hugged, kissed and embraced the lovely Princess. Then they strolled away together, arm in arm. They shared a compassion for the poor and unfortunate, especially the children. This was the bond that drew them together. Not many months later they were both called forth from this world: the Princess in a shocking auto accident that didn't have to happen; and the holy Foundress as a result of many ailments. With their deaths, the world's supply of compassion was considerably decreased. "At the hour of death, when we come face to face with God . . . we will be judged on love . . . on how much love we have put into our actions . . . and not how much we have done. We cannot see Christ to express our love for Him, but we can see our neighbor and do for her/him what we would do for Christ."

25. Her Great Secret What is the great truth of Mother Teresa's life? She gave herself unconditionally to Jesus Christ through the religious life. In a loving response, He gave Himself, His presence, His healing love to her. This seems to be the only explanation for her compassionate world-embracing love -- especially of the sick poor. It's the healing love of Christ and healing love is the vocation of every Christian. This gives to others a renewed sense of self-worth. It restores a person's ability to give and receive love. It helps others to appreciate that he/she is a beautiful creation of God. Thus, it can renew and recreate hearts. It is an awesome power like to that of God Himself.