Com[passion]

The impulse to all we can to relieve one another’s pain is the automatic response of our native compassion.  56

Expressing our innate generosity, we experienced our “kin”-ship, our “kind”-ness. It was “Us”. In service, we taste unity.” 6

I was never a fan of reading “self-help” type of books, but I have undoubtedly grown a liking to Ram Dass and the wisdom he has to offer. In the first pages of his novel, Dass explores the causes of our ability to show compassion towards others- even those who we identify as the “other”. As he reflects past personal experiences, I too found myself looking back at the instances where I believed to show the most instinctive compassion.

Compared to those in need, our problems seem so minute.
Traffic is far from a burden  in relation to the
suffering the orphans have endured. 

The most memorable of these instances was not too long ago. This summer, my family visited our family and friends in India. Apart from the busy days of shopping, sightseeing and meeting even the most extended family members, we took one day out of our trip to visit an orphanage school for disabled children a couple hours away from the city. The trip itself was brutal. There was traffic everywhere in sight and the rain pounded on our little car. Finally, we reached the school with feelings of deep relief. As stressed and distraught as we felt, our feelings of agitation were washed away at the sight of 60 girls greeting us with warm smiles. Why was I complaining, I asked myself. Compared to these girls, the burden of a two-hour car drive was absolutely nothing.

A group of some of the students at the school. 

For the rest of the day, my family and I met each and every student of the school, sharing gifts and serving lunches. In my mind this didn’t seem like a service at all. I was simply doing what I thought was right. There was truly an instinctive “impulse to all we can to relieve one another’s pain is the automatic response of our native compassion” (Dass 56).  Though we didn’t know who these students were, or what their background was, my family found a sense of unity with each and every individual. The most endearing moment of the day was when a little girl, Laxmi, looked in my eyes and simply said, “Thank you for everything akka (sister)”. I had no relation to this girl, yet there was a unique bond formed by the kind act of just showing compassion. Just one day with the students gave me a sense of unity and togetherness. By expressing this “innate generosity, we experienced our “kin”-ship, our “kind”-ness. It was “Us”. In service, we taste unity” (Dass 6). This affinity has become something I will never forget.