[todaysdate]
By John Hancock
Compassion, as I think of it, is a 2-part opportunity:
1) a feelingful response to the distress of another person
2) a helpful engagement in their search for relief
The Dalai Lama, in his little book “Ethics for a New Millenium” (surely in all his other books, too), explains that compassion is instinctual. Such instinct has been popularized in the description of a mother’s care for her children. It’s innate, cross-cultural, pan-historical, irrefutable.
All the religions and most of the philosophies encourage compassion, though it’s known by many names, explanations and scriptural references.
In Spokane, we’ve had an informal organization dedicated to discoveries about the “universal compassion” theory. In monthly discussion meetings in locations all around town, usually with special speakers, the Friends of Compassion explored these questions:
1) What’s the vocabulary of compassion? What’s it called by others we don’t know very well?
2) In our community, what does compassionate action look like, and who’s good at it?
3) What seemingly insoluble community problems have not yet received enough of a compassionate attempt at improvement?
As this new blog unfolds, I’ll share our findings and observations, and invite other friends to help from time to time. I’ve been blessed with a big circle of thoughtful and generous friends. They make me think more thoroughly.
Charles Darwin, of “evolution” fame, wrote about compassion in his own behavioral and physiological vocabulary. He called it “cooperation.”
We’ve been snowed by “the survival of the fittest” demagoguery. Darwin actually called it “survival of the most adaptable.” In the details, he explains that stronger, bigger, faster, etc. are clearly required for the survival of any individual against his environment, hence the ability to procreate and make more like himself.
But those individuals can’t last long on their own. They need a group. Not just females and children must also survive, but there’s surely a role for grandparents and other smart, attentive, protective, and self-interested others. Kindness, generosity, mutual regard, loyalty, etc. were the behaviors required for a tribe to survive.
That’s compassion. In a pre-religious, pre-science, pre-theoretical way.
My sense is that the lack of compassion is a reaction to trauma. Thus, we often need to practice compassion with the very people who seem to resist it. Chief Straub in today’s press conference announcing the results of the Department of Justice assessment of our police department said that the police were opening their arms and hearts to the community and hoped that the community would respond in kind. I felt some disbelief and resistance internally and then realized that our community won’t change unless the police do feel embraced by us. So I gathered up some courage, suspended some disbelief based on past experiences, and am getting behind this new report and the idea that things really can be better in Spokane between the police and the people.
As you know and hint, Much of what y’all say has a scientific basis of hormonal studies. Compassion in mediated by neurochemicals and receptor sites that are stimulated in each individual, often slightly differently: Dopamine, Serotonin, Progesterone, Adrenalin. Looking at this research makes many suggestions about compassion in religious and religious situations. Intere3sting and informative.