Avatar of Compassion

Searching for the shelter, that's the dominant color of many life in this era. Government is the source of dissatisfaction, family makes life such restless. In some parts, even religious institutions are also full of problems. 



Listening Outside

In order to find beautiful shelter then most people learn to listen outside. Listening to lecturing, reading holy books are all parts of listening outside. Sadly, all people who seek shelter outside one day will be disappointed.

Osho and D. Lawrenece even very extreme, in order to save the next generation - once again according to Osho and Lawrenece  - we should close all universities over a hundred years. To be honest, not all messages from outside are useless. Some of voices from outside also lead people back home.

On the path of compassion, one of the outer messages that should be listened carefully is the messages that are delivered by enemies.  Borrowing from the finding of a native Tibetan Teacher: "if one cannot forgive and accept enemies, it is an honest message that home is still far away".

Listening Inside

On the path of healing, outside healers such as doctors and psychiatrists spend limited time to listen and understand us. While we spent very long time with our body, mind and soul. The challenge then, do we have enough sensitivity to listen to the voices from within?.

Physical pain, mental restlessness, soul wound are signs that we fail to hear the voices from within. Long before the body is hospitalized, mind is restless, they have been delivering some messages.  Time of sleep less than six hours, bad dreams, the color of urine which is not clear, are all voices from inside that we fail to listen.

Any spiritual friends who follow the path of compassion understand, the suffering that was inflicted by enemy is the most important inner message that we should deeply listen. Deeply feel the wound within, then focus your attention on two things which is your wound and the enemy, finally smile to both of them, at the same time you whisper: "I am the witness". 

Listen vs. Silent

Anyone who deeply meditate like this, this approach is not only heal but also cleansing many inner dirt’s. In the terminology of meditation, this practice is called resting in the fourth. It is not the enemy, it is not the pain, it is not the neutral feeling. At this stage, there's a door which is opened, it's a door of silence.

It is not coincident that in English the spelling of silent is very close to listen. Mainly because only when you are in deep silent then you can listen. Jalalludin Rumi, Ramana Maharshi, Meister Eickhart, Lord Buddha were all entered this gate of silence. The beauty of this gate, anyone who enters this gate will naturally make the flower of compassion bloom within. That is the experience of many highly realized masters. 

Borrowing the language of enlightened beings, the true silence is silence that gives birth to compassion. As soon as one arrived here, then compassion will rise naturally and effortlessly. It is as natural as honey which is sweet. This is what Karen Armstrong in her book "Compassion" called as Avatar of compassion. Anyone who rediscovered the deepest layer of silence, he/she naturally makes flower of compassion bloom in the heart. At the peak of this attainment, a seeker is no longer search for shelter, he/she is the shelter of countless souls.

Author: Gede Prama.
Photo Courtesy: Manolis Shamanos.
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