Walking the Path of Love and Compassion
It is easy to have love and compassion for people at a distance. If I ask you to send love to someone who is suffering halfway around the world you can probably do that. You may even be able to send love to a tyrannical world leader. What about compassionate and loving action toward those in your immediate circle who have hurt you? What is the loving action? Is it holding them in the light of kinder thoughts? Is it expressing yourself with more compassionate words and deeds, or is it all of the above?
Treating harshly those who have personally hurt you is the way of the ego. It takes great strength to overcome your own ego and to go against social norms to engage in loving and compassionate action. This is different than sending love or compassion from a distance. I am talking here about the people you encounter regularly.
As Spirit said for the benefit of my client, Following the compassionate path is harder than following the path of the ego. Be gentle on yourself. The path of compassion is not for the weak. It requires a heart unified with Source. It is a path that requires diligence and constant self-work. It is so much more beautiful for all involved.
Well-meaning ego minds are tempting. Their path is much wider, but it does not lead to the best ends. The ego’s path is like a big, wide super-highway that leads to nowhere—it is created by man.
The path of compassion is more like a winding path, like a river that flows into a beautiful sea—into the body of the One. It is a path created by God. On this path of compassion you have to be steadfast, because those around you are preaching the path of the ego. Be steadfast. Immovable. As things get more and more difficult open up to a Divine solution. Everything will come in its own time.
The path of love in action is often a lonely path, whereas the path of the ego is filled with travelers. On the path of love it is as if you are the only one who sees the river in the forest. Why is no one else traveling with you? Are you wrong to follow it? It is certainly harder to follow this river than to travel on the ego super-highway. But you know in your heart that this is the way to your best end so you keep going despite the disapproval of your friends. They say you are weak. You know that you are strong because it takes an inordinate amount of strength to love those who hurt you. It is a Herculean task to go against the majority, especially in an age where your every move is fodder for the social media masses. You have to trust yourself and the love in your heart that guides you. Deciding on the loving action requires deep introspection and time spent in mindful meditation.
The choice you are making for yourself is a choice for all humanity. You are opening a door for others to follow. You are helping others to see a path of love, through a path of hate. Until you walk this path they will not see that it leads to the One. The voice of love is always the loveliest.
Photo by Shea Rouda on Unsplash