“By learning to bear witness to our own pain and responding with kindness and understanding, rather than greeting difficult emotions by fighting hard against them, we open ourselves up to genuine healing and a new experience of living; this is self-compassion.” ~ Jennifer Chrisman, Tiny Buddha
“A man of understanding, a man who understands himself and others, always feels compassion. Even if somebody is an enemy you have compassion toward him because a man of understanding can understand the viewpoint of the other also. He knows why the other feels as he feels, he knows why the other is angry, because he knows his own self, and in knowing that, he has known all others.”
Osho, The Book of Understanding (page 206)
“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” ~ Albert Einstein
“Be yourself, and let others be themselves. Do not harm others with your beliefs. There’s only so much we can know about right and wrong, but as far as I’m able to tell, the genesis of evil lies in forceful ideology. If we act with mindful compassion over and over again, we can tangentially and unconsciously influence others to do the same. With such an attitude, one would hope the world would grow more peaceful and intelligent over time.” ~ Unknown, The Daily Zen
“Your heart, the compassionate part of you, knows that it’s impossible to feel better at the expense of someone else.” ~ Richard Carlson, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
“I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It is the ultimate source of success in life.”~ Dalai Lama
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” ~ Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness
“People are much more likely to trust a leader if they know he is compassionate and forgiving of mistakes.” ~ Donald T. Phillips, Lincoln on Leadership