Pulkit Sharma
We are living in a time when staggering success, selfish indulgences, monetary gains and personal freedom are valued above all else. Unsurprisingly, there is rising human apathy. Going out of our way for someone’s welfare seems like an insane choice. Perhaps that’s why when people come across someone who is going through pain, trauma or deprivation, they often turn away.
The truth is, when we approach caregiving with an open heart and soul, a big surprise awaits us. We come to learn that ministering to the needs of people in difficulty and assuaging their pain can be a source of great joy and personal growth.
The Tamil spiritual classic ‘Tirumantiram’ teaches us that love and God are one and the same and that karuna, compassion, is one of the best forms of devotion. By serving those who are in pain and deprivation, one can move closer to the Divine. The person who pursues this path emerges from the narrow confines of individuality, experiences Self-realisation and develops deep, universal love for everyone and everything. His heart melts away in compassion and there is a powerful ecstasy of love that takes him swiftly to the Divine. According to a legend, the yogi Tirumular, who authored ‘Tirumantiram’, took compassion on a herd of cattle that had lost their cowherd who had actually died. He entered the body of the shepherd through his yogic powers and continued to look after the flock.
Psychologists are beginning to reaffirm what ancient sages had to say about compassion. In a recent conference organised by Centre for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford, researchers revealed that when people act in a compassionate way, pleasure circuits get activated in their brain. This leads to a feeling of increased wellbeing, joy and optimism and drives away several physical and psychological ailments. Psychologists have further reported that all of us have a ‘compassion instinct’ that can evolve once we learn to relax our mind and develop faith. Then, our impulses for self-preservation start fading away and we get connected to a higher Self.
This compassionate side within us has the potential to evolve and expand so that it can come to hold the entire cosmos in a loving embrace. As we nurture kindness, our consciousness rises, and we can love the Divine more intensely. Subsequently, our thoughts, feelings, actions and entire being falls in line with the Divine. In short, we turn into a personification of unconditional love and devotion and function as a channel through which God showers his affection and mercy on those who are in pain. This leads to an unsurpassed personal and collective growth and the unfolding of Divine life on earth.
We must remember that the Divine is eternally compassionate. He wants to pour down His compassion on this world through each one of us. Due to our ignorance and self-centeredness, we resist this flow. If we were to open ourselves to this compassionate Divine influence, we will never feel exhausted. It will give a new meaning and a lasting joy to our life. To be immersed in compassion and serve our loved ones and others is one of the best ways to pray and meditate for universal wellbeing.
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."
Courtesy: Times of India: The Speaking Tree: 09 Aug 2018
Pulkit Sharma
We are living in a time when staggering success, selfish indulgences, monetary gains and personal freedom are valued above all else. Unsurprisingly, there is rising human apathy. Going out of our way for someone’s welfare seems like an insane choice. Perhaps that’s why when people come across someone who is going through pain, trauma or deprivation, they often turn away.
The truth is, when we approach caregiving with an open heart and soul, a big surprise awaits us. We come to learn that ministering to the needs of people in difficulty and assuaging their pain can be a source of great joy and personal growth.
The Tamil spiritual classic ‘Tirumantiram’ teaches us that love and God are one and the same and that karuna, compassion, is one of the best forms of devotion. By serving those who are in pain and deprivation, one can move closer to the Divine. The person who pursues this path emerges from the narrow confines of individuality, experiences Self-realisation and develops deep, universal love for everyone and everything. His heart melts away in compassion and there is a powerful ecstasy of love that takes him swiftly to the Divine. According to a legend, the yogi Tirumular, who authored ‘Tirumantiram’, took compassion on a herd of cattle that had lost their cowherd who had actually died. He entered the body of the shepherd through his yogic powers and continued to look after the flock.
Psychologists are beginning to reaffirm what ancient sages had to say about compassion. In a recent conference organised by Centre for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford, researchers revealed that when people act in a compassionate way, pleasure circuits get activated in their brain. This leads to a feeling of increased wellbeing, joy and optimism and drives away several physical and psychological ailments. Psychologists have further reported that all of us have a ‘compassion instinct’ that can evolve once we learn to relax our mind and develop faith. Then, our impulses for self-preservation start fading away and we get connected to a higher Self.
This compassionate side within us has the potential to evolve and expand so that it can come to hold the entire cosmos in a loving embrace. As we nurture kindness, our consciousness rises, and we can love the Divine more intensely. Subsequently, our thoughts, feelings, actions and entire being falls in line with the Divine. In short, we turn into a personification of unconditional love and devotion and function as a channel through which God showers his affection and mercy on those who are in pain. This leads to an unsurpassed personal and collective growth and the unfolding of Divine life on earth.
We must remember that the Divine is eternally compassionate. He wants to pour down His compassion on this world through each one of us. Due to our ignorance and self-centeredness, we resist this flow. If we were to open ourselves to this compassionate Divine influence, we will never feel exhausted. It will give a new meaning and a lasting joy to our life. To be immersed in compassion and serve our loved ones and others is one of the best ways to pray and meditate for universal wellbeing.
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."
Courtesy: Times of India: The Speaking Tree: 09 Aug 2018