by Priya Kamath

Created on: March 23, 2009   Last Updated: March 04, 2010

Compassion is a feeling of empathy with a desire to alleviate the suffering or misery of another in distress, or just kindness felt towards another. It suspends judgment, and transcends all boundaries created by human. It protects, unconditionally, the smallest and even the most despised among us. It is a spiritual quality which when felt and expressed creates a humane connection, and is truly magical. When woven into our daily lives, it can make life immeasurably meaningful and worthwhile.

My ten-year-old exemplified compassion in a very innocent, childlike way on one occasion when he was just seven, and it touched me to the extent that it is still firmly etched in my mind. I am petrified of mice, and once when a field mouse managed to find its way into our house, I requested my husband to set a trap for it. My son was horrified to hear that the trap would hurt the mouse. He couldn't comprehend why I wanted to hurt the mouse when it was going about its own business and not doing any harm to any of us, and expressed it eloquently. "Mom, why would you want to do something to the mouse that you wouldn't want done to yourself?" he said to me. Truly, compassion starts with this basic feeling, and goes above and beyond that. It respects every being, and is not limited to any particular kind.

One way to develop and encourage this feeling of compassion is to volunteer with children at a local animal shelter. What could be more fulfilling than spending an afternoon caring for and tending to homeless animals? Showing concern and compassion to others makes life more rewarding. An act of compassion is always rewarded by a feeling of gratification that is priceless and difficult to articulate.

Just last week, I went to the park with my boys to enjoy the gorgeous weather. It is a beautiful park with a small pond in the center where often geese find their way. It is quiet a spectacular sight, and we laways enjoy it. But this particular day we visited, we were dismayed to see trash carelessly strewn around the water and some actually in it. My sons and I couldn't help but think about how the plastic bottles, cans and other garbage could potentially harm or even kill the geese, little fish and other life in the pond, and took it upon ourselves to clear the trash. Other people visiting the park also joined in. Was it compassion we felt? Maybe, but we knew it was wrong and decided to act on it without giving it much thought. Feeling compassion should be a way of life, it should

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