As we become more globally aware and connected, it is imperative that we cultivate greater compassion and seek justice in our world. Bigger Mind consciousness leads directly into Bigger Heart compassion and justice. This is an insight shared among the world's great wisdom and spiritual traditions. Jesus looks out on the teeming crowds and is moved deeply within. He teaches them, heals them, and feeds them. The Buddha taught that, having achieved the Great Insight into the causes of suffering (wisdom, or prajña), the enlightened person is moved to act on behalf of all beings, who similarly struggle and suffer. This compassion, or karuna, arose naturally from enlightenment, or bodhi.
Justice and Right Relationships A minimum definition of justice is that all persons have the potential and opportunity to live lives of meaning and purpose, have unfettered access to the basic necessities of life, are free to choose the material and social conditions of their life and have equal power to influence political, and social decision-making processes. Justice is based upon what some religious traditions call “right relationship.” The idea of right relationship is predicated upon the recognition that all things in the world (and universe) are connected to one another through a complex network of relationships, and the nature of these relationships can either contribute to the well-being of things, or to their detriment. Right relationships are those that are conducive to well-being. Engaged compassion and doing justice means creating the conditions wherein the potentials for human and non-human beings can be realized and maximized, where there is equitable sharing of resources, meeting true needs of people and all other beings on the planet. Bigger Mind leads to the realization that current inequalities and inequities and economic and financial imbalances and the wide divergence of incomes are detrimental to human and ecological survival.
The website and world-wide effort that grew out of her book is an excellent place to learn more about the practicalities of compassion. Compassion is not just a warm gushy feeling, it is a way of being and acting in the world. Get connected with the Charter for Compassion.Compassion needs to be coupled with action, otherwise we suffer compassion fatigue. In order to be effective, all action needs to be cooperative and collaborative action. In other words, “feeling-with” needs to be joined to “acting-with.”
[Next: Read about Reboot! and Bigger World] or click on any of the images below to read about the components of Reboot!: "Reboot What?" "Bigger Mind," "Bigger Heart," Bigger World," Bigger Life (Practices)." There is also a link to the Reboot! Blog.