{"id":2785,"date":"2019-08-05T09:02:14","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T09:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/?p=2785"},"modified":"2019-08-05T09:33:26","modified_gmt":"2019-08-05T09:33:26","slug":"two-sided-compassion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/empathy-compassion\/two-sided-compassion","title":{"rendered":"Two-Sided Compassion"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>To relieve suffering and to attain human growth: these two sides form \u2018Compassion,\u2019 which one may see as the main aim of humanity.<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Compassion (with big C) is not something like \u2018pity\u2019.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>To keep the distinction clear, I write Compassion in this text with capital C.<\/p>\n<p>A total person (no mere ego) is the modality in which Compassion can exist and thrive. Moreover, this total person should be healthy, healed, whole. Not in a state of dissociation [see: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog?p=1000\">Cause of All Suffering: Dissociation<\/a>\u201d].<\/p>\n<p>These two conditions show that one can fruitfully think about Compassion from two different angles.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Two-sided Compassion<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Namely:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>to relieve suffering, as much as possible, not only \u2018here and now\u2019 but \u2018always and everywhere.\u2019<\/li>\n<li>to attain human growth, as much as possible, likewise.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These two sides can be thought of separately. That\u2019s interesting to do in order to attain a better view of each. However, it\u2019s artificial since true Compassion <em>always<\/em> has these two sides, simultaneously, necessarily.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>One side without the other isn\u2019t sustainable.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Relief of suffering without growth as aim can be superficial and temporary. It doesn\u2019t lead to \u2013 in Aurelian parlance \u2013 \u2018Inner Strength.\u2019 Thus, it may even lead to weakness and decay over time. Thus: more suffering.<\/p>\n<p>Striving for growth without any view upon suffering is, well, not empathic, not ethical. In the course of time, it may cause much suffering either in oneself or in others. This will also prevent further growth.<\/p>\n<p>Both are needed. They blend in the concept of Compassion.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Ultimately one<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u2018Growth\u2019 is about striving towards a healed state, an innerly congruent person. Suffering \u2013 not pain by itself, for instance, but the suffering from chronic pain \u2013 is hurtful <em>because of<\/em> the lack of wholeness.<\/p>\n<p>Poetically, it\u2019s the \u2018tear in the soul\u2019 that is the suffering itself. The yearning towards wholeness is what is felt as \u2018suffering.\u2019 You see? The \u2018yearning\u2019 and the \u2018suffering\u2019 are one and the same feeling. One doesn\u2019t cause the other.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>The yearning should be \u2018cherished\u2019<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>because of Compassion.<\/p>\n<p>By <em>killing the suffering<\/em> just like that \u2013 if possible at all \u2013 one forsakes its aim as a call for a very different action. It may \u2018work\u2019 but then: \u2018what\u2019 works and \u2018towards what\u2019?<\/p>\n<p><em>Listening to the suffering<\/em> \u2013 either that of oneself or others \u2013 is different. One can find Listening [see: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog?p=1862\">Deep Listening<\/a>\u201d] deep into the culture of East and West. Deep there, it\u2019s about reception as well as action.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s because Compassion is deeply human.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe even deeply universal.<\/p>\n<p>[see also: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog?p=2744\">Compassionate A.I.<\/a>\u201d]<\/p>\n<div data-object_id=\"2785\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkwrap cbxwpbkmarkwrap_no_cat cbxwpbkmarkwrap-post \"><a  data-redirect-url=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2785\"  data-display-label=\"0\" data-show-count=\"0\" data-bookmark-label=\" \"  data-bookmarked-label=\" \"  data-loggedin=\"0\" data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"2785\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig  cbxwpbkmarktrig-button-addto\" title=\"Bookmark This\" href=\"#\"><span class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig-label\"  style=\"display:none;\" > <\/span><\/a> <div  data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"2785\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap\" id=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap-2785\"><div class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguest-message\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguesttrig_close\"><\/a><h3 class=\"cbxwpbookmark-title cbxwpbookmark-title-login\">Please login to bookmark<\/h3>\n\t\t<form name=\"loginform\" id=\"loginform\" action=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-login.php\" method=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-username\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_login\">Username or Email Address<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"log\" id=\"user_login\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-password\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_pass\">Password<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"password\" name=\"pwd\" id=\"user_pass\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-remember\"><label><input name=\"rememberme\" type=\"checkbox\" id=\"rememberme\" value=\"forever\" \/> Remember Me<\/label><\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-submit\">\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" name=\"wp-submit\" id=\"wp-submit\" class=\"button button-primary\" value=\"Log In\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"redirect_to\" value=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2785\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/form><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To relieve suffering and to attain human growth: these two sides form \u2018Compassion,\u2019 which one may see as the main aim of humanity. Compassion (with big C) is not something like \u2018pity\u2019. To keep the distinction clear, I write Compassion in this text with capital C. A total person (no mere ego) is the modality <a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/empathy-compassion\/two-sided-compassion\">Read the full article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n<div data-object_id=\"2785\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkwrap cbxwpbkmarkwrap_no_cat cbxwpbkmarkwrap-post \"><a  data-redirect-url=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2785\"  data-display-label=\"0\" data-show-count=\"0\" data-bookmark-label=\" \"  data-bookmarked-label=\" \"  data-loggedin=\"0\" data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"2785\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig  cbxwpbkmarktrig-button-addto\" title=\"Bookmark This\" href=\"#\"><span class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig-label\"  style=\"display:none;\" > <\/span><\/a> <div  data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"2785\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap\" id=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap-2785\"><div class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguest-message\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguesttrig_close\"><\/a><h3 class=\"cbxwpbookmark-title cbxwpbookmark-title-login\">Please login to bookmark<\/h3>\n\t\t<form name=\"loginform\" id=\"loginform\" action=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-login.php\" method=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-username\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_login\">Username or Email Address<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"log\" id=\"user_login\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-password\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_pass\">Password<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"password\" name=\"pwd\" id=\"user_pass\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-remember\"><label><input name=\"rememberme\" type=\"checkbox\" id=\"rememberme\" value=\"forever\" \/> Remember Me<\/label><\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-submit\">\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" name=\"wp-submit\" id=\"wp-submit\" class=\"button button-primary\" value=\"Log In\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"redirect_to\" value=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2785\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/form><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/416.jpg?fit=960%2C564&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Fdiq-IV","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2785"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2785"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2785\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2797,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2785\/revisions\/2797"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}