“Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.”
— Barack Obama.
Many years ago, I remember watching a Chinese movie in which a little boy, Doggie, is cruel to frogs. He ties a large stone on the back of a frog and laughs in glee when the frog is unable to jump or move about. The master, known as “Wang Bianlian” or “King of Masks,” who had taken the little boy under his wing to train him, decides to teach him a lesson. One night, when the boy was sleeping, the master ties a large rock on his back and when the boy wakes from sleep, he is unable to stand up nor move. He starts crying and begging the master to free him. This scene is significant in the movie as it highlights the master’s effort to teach the boy compassion and respect for all living beings.
One of the core principles that underlie the emotional dimension of the wholeness paradigm is when we embrace our emotions and nurture our own and others’ emotional well-being, we are well equipped to cultivate a sense of wholeness and lead a more fulfilling life. In this issue, we shall discuss the highest manifestation of the emotional dimension – Compassion in all its richness and its significance in life.
Fr. Dr. Joseph Jeyaraj, sdb
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