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Compassion: Listening to the Cries of the World
Do you turn away from your own physical and emotional pain? Do you withhold empathy or give yourself away when witnessing another’s pain? Do you lash out or withdraw when you feel that someone has harmed you? Is it possible to learn to respond to rather than react against what feels unbearable? Drawing on her experience as a Buddhist practitioner and teacher, Christina Feldman asserts that it is possible, but only if we turn, time and again, toward compassion, which she describes as the "innate, natural condition of our hearts." She says, "You do not need to be a saint to find the grace and transformative power of compassion; you need only to be willing to pay attention to pain and its cause and to commit yourself to its end." She offers techniques for developing the capacity to hold adversity, loss, and pain—with love. Her guided meditations will teach you to cultivate and sustain compassion for the blameless, for those who cause suffering, for those whom you love, and for yourself.
- GenresBuddhismSpirituality
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 19, 2021
One of the best books I have read on the subject of compassion. In understanding that compassion is born from meeting our challenges, doubts, and disappointment in ourselves and others versus running from it, for the fist building block of compassion is to keep showing up for all of life with patience.
I was also able to find several videos of the author who gave talks about compassion, fabrication and non fabrication, and other topics. Really like her and plan to read more of here writings.
I was also able to find several videos of the author who gave talks about compassion, fabrication and non fabrication, and other topics. Really like her and plan to read more of here writings.
January 4, 2019
Just what we need right now to find healing for ourselves and the world. My bookgroup read it and really liked it a lot.
February 6, 2017
Amazing insights, dense with wisdom, and excellent practices.
July 9, 2026
Terrific title, disappointing book.
Part of the problem, I think, is that the author buried the lede. The last chapter should come near the front.
Judging from chapter 8 and the praise for this book by Sharon Salzberg, Martine Batchelor, and Stephen Batchelor, who have known the author for decades, I take it that she doesn't really regard abstractions as entities that do things or believe that people have permanent selves to study, but until the last chapter she pervasively writes as if they do.
And with few exceptions, the stories she includes are impersonal. They remind me of the old saying that "generally speaking, a preacher is generally speaking."
The practices she offers are good. I've seen them elsewhere. It's probably helpful to collect them under the theme of compassion without the usual Shambhala or other Tibetan Buddhist framing.
This book might work better as background for a retreat or class series on compassion, reading chapter 8 immediately after the introduction. You could also use it as you'd use a toolbox if you were familiar with simple machines and the purpose of each tool.
As far as I can tell, though, what's valuable in it isn't new and what's new is confusingly put. Even if I'm missing hidden treasures, I can't strongly recommend a book that makes me dig so hard to find them.
Part of the problem, I think, is that the author buried the lede. The last chapter should come near the front.
Judging from chapter 8 and the praise for this book by Sharon Salzberg, Martine Batchelor, and Stephen Batchelor, who have known the author for decades, I take it that she doesn't really regard abstractions as entities that do things or believe that people have permanent selves to study, but until the last chapter she pervasively writes as if they do.
And with few exceptions, the stories she includes are impersonal. They remind me of the old saying that "generally speaking, a preacher is generally speaking."
The practices she offers are good. I've seen them elsewhere. It's probably helpful to collect them under the theme of compassion without the usual Shambhala or other Tibetan Buddhist framing.
This book might work better as background for a retreat or class series on compassion, reading chapter 8 immediately after the introduction. You could also use it as you'd use a toolbox if you were familiar with simple machines and the purpose of each tool.
As far as I can tell, though, what's valuable in it isn't new and what's new is confusingly put. Even if I'm missing hidden treasures, I can't strongly recommend a book that makes me dig so hard to find them.
November 16, 2018
Inspiring, relatable, expansive, and kind. I must have highlighted at least half of this book! Christina Feldman has so much wisdom to offer and does it in such a down-to-earth way. A beautiful, detailed exploration of compassion in its many forms.
January 10, 2011
A Great book to read and reread.
December 31, 2021
A good re-read to end 2021.
May 30, 2014
A thoughtful and accessible book on cultivating compassion regardless of your circumstances. There are many insights in this Buddhist perspective on compassion in loss/anger/adversity.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews