The Gaze of Compassion

We are just like each other. Our first responses to life are often attachment, judgment, control, and over-analysis. It's easier to calculate than to contemplate, and most of us start from the same place. The false self usually has the first gaze. When we are open and present, we sometimes glimpse a contemplative mind and heart. More often, we reach it later. It's a daily effort, which is why many spiritual traditions emphasize regular prayer throughout the day. Without it, we slip back into our small, self-interested selves. The gaze of compassion, looking out at life from the place of Divine Intimacy is really all I have, and all I have to give, even though I don’t always do it. Spiritual practice involves engaging with life’s challenges, not avoiding them. Through contemplation, we learn that how we do anything is how we do everything. We aim for the second gaze—a gaze of compassion.

May we look upon life with the gaze of compassion,
grounded in Divine Intimacy,
and offer that as our true gift to the world.

(inspired by Richard Rohr, Contemplation and Compassion)