Alanna Thornton’s Reviews > The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World > Status Update

If you do not know your in-tention, you can repeat the following four lines adapted from the traditional Tibetan prayer of the Four Immea-surables, which has guided many on their journey to more compassion and greater happiness:
May all beings attain happiness.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings never be separated from joy.
May all beings abide in equanimity.

“When we kept quiet, our hearts discovered that they were kindred spirits.”

"We must promote basic human values, the inner values that lie at the heart of who we are as humans. Religion is not sufficient. Religion has been very important in human history, and perhaps for another thousand years it will continue to bring benefit to humanity..."

“in Buddhist teachings there are three kinds of generosity: material giving, giving freedom from fear (which can involve protection, counseling, or solace), and spiritual giving, which can involve giving your wisdom, moral and ethical teach-ings, and helping people to be more self-sufficient and happier.”

We don't need to wait until the feelings of compassion arise before we choose to be generous. Generosity is often something that we learn to enjoy by doing… it is prescribed by almost every religious tradition. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, called zakat. In Judaism, it is called tzeda-kah, which literally means "justice." In Hinduism and Buddhism, it is called dana. And in Christianity, it is charity.

The Dalai Lama had said, even ten minutes of meditation on the wellbeing of others can help one to feel joyful for the whole day- even before coffee.

Aww haha

One of the differences between empathy and compassion is that while empathy is simply experiencing another's emotion, compassion is a more empowered state where we want what is best for the other person. As the Dalai Lama has described it, if we see a person who is being crushed by a rock, the goal is not to get under the rock and feel what they are feeling; it is to help to remove the rock.

We fear compassion because we're afraid of experiencing the suffering, the vulnerability, and the helplessness that can come with having an open heart… many people are afraid that if they are compassionate they will be taken advantage of, that others will become dependent on them, and that they won't be able to handle others' distress.

“It is not happiness that makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy. Every moment is a gift.”