Growing up in a liberal yet Catholic environment, Christmas was the time of year that my family growing up used to take very seriously. There were events of advent, a lot of charity drives, speeches in church and school about being kind or to love thy neighbor, etc. My mother an extremely liberal, open and spiritual lady, never saw much point in only showing goodwill at Christmas, but instead always felt it important as one human being to the next, to show charity and kindness throughout the year. Many school holidays were spent volunteering with the elderly or with homeless hospices (which believe me was not seen as cool or hip to anyone BUT my mother), under the guidance of my mother, because she felt that those who did have a lot to be grateful for, should show compassion to those who were less fortunate. To her, life was about luck as it was about drive and individual responsibility. She felt the emotion of compassion to be among the highest a human being could show. As I got older, the idea of having a social conscious soul was just part of the package. Even at times when we all can feel trapped in patterns of self righteousness, part of being a humanist is recognizing others through acts of compassion.
Recently, I have observed a great lack of compassion by some individuals on the Internet, who for one other reason besides perhaps arrogance, envy or jealousy, have chosen a negative outlook in which they behave. Everything we do or say and act, we have a choice in. People have the option to show compassion, even to those who you may not deem to even deserve it. Compassion is not forgetting the reality or truth, but to display the basic core element of what it means to be a human being. The ability to show empathy and compassion, for those that least deserve it, one measure that many from the past have tried to show us for many years.
Talking with an acquaintance the other day, I was reminded of something Brandon Lee's father, Bruce once wrote:
"The void is no mere emptiness, but is real, free and existing. It is the source from which all things arise and return. It cannot be seen, touched or known, yet it exists and is freely used. It has no shape, size, colour or form, and yet all that we see, hear, feel and touch is "it". It is beyond intellectual knowing and cannot be grasped by the ordinary mind. When we suddenly awake to the realization that there is no barrier, and has never been seen, one realizes that one is all things, mountains, rivers, grasses, trees, sun, moon, stars, universe are all oneself. There is no longer a division or barrier between myself and others, no longer any feeling of alienation or fear. Realizing this, results in true compassion."
Bruce Lee's words stoke me as not only true, but also sad, as few really seem to embody such wisdom these days. Everyone is capable of goodness, kindness as well as acts of terror and destruction. The aspect of 'knowing' in Lee's philosophies has always hugely impressed me. Long before I heard this statement, I was blessed with people who came into my life, who did embody the ability to understand that compassion comes from within, as almost most human experiences do. When humans decide that fear is a barrier, and erase that, then there is no fear, no idea of failure that stops people achieving. Without fear there is no alienation and nothing to stop people from relating or even showing a bit of kindness - not to just others, but to themselves. Too many people seem so unhappy within their own being, that they feel a need to condemn others for their own life choices. We all make choices and we all have responsibility for such choices, no matter what they are. In the end, most don't make choices to hurt others, but to better themselves. Knowing that some people aren't always at the same pace, often can result in a greater barrier being built between individuals. Lee's words convey ideas that choice makes the difference between a barrier being built or a hand being extended. In other words - true compassion.
Even Brandon Lee discussed his view of his own humanist experiences several times before his tragic passing. He too talked about life being a series of "barriers" that test individuals, to either gain knowledge by dealing with the reality, or further barriers are built with much anger, resentment and negative energy serving that idea but never growing. He articulated that you must go through that barrier (whether it be fear or pain), because you can't go around a brick wall, the only way you CAN move past it, is in fact through it. On the other side, either awaits your authentic self, or a battered individual - but its a choice. Brandon's own philosophy of being true to your own real self 'keep the faith', is an individual journey and a consciousness of choice to be a better human being or not. The choice is yours.
No is ever perfect, I think that often is the biggest lesson many can't seem to accept. We all are made of flesh, we all have disappointments, victories - But it is how we choose to behave and deal with whatever challenges that tells you what kind of human being you are. There are lots of people, especially this time of year, who wish to de-spirit the ideals of compassion and goodwill because of negative self-doubt within their own selfs. Compassion may just be the key world leaders needed to tap into at the recent Copenhagen Conference, in which the world couldn't agree to stop destroying. In time, I hope that changes.
People are so hard on themselves or just on others. This season is just like any other day or time, and you should go forth without hesitation and spend it with those who love you, and who you appreciate in the reality of this life. Recently, I was inspired by this single quote a famed actor recalled about the lessons he learnt from his family choosing to "stuff" his childhood dog as a child, as to delay the idea of grief and change being forced on the family. The actor used this memory to live his life, by always insisting that one cannot stuff or prevent grief, change or even pain from happening. The only thing you can do is to deal with it, move through it like a line, and then come out from it a more enlightened human, if one chooses. I was awfully impressed by that ideology.
Life is to be lived, the Lee men knew that, and I do believe most humans at their most sacred self time in their own thoughts, know that too. The simple things in life are always taken for granted, but maybe in this idealistic moment, tomorrow in the spirit of Christmas, we all can just remember that compassion is a choice and just be grateful that we can feel these emotions. Some people don't have that choice anymore, their lives are gone on this earth. Their experiences are in the past.
It's funny how the older you do get, the more you understand once cheesy proclamations, such as 'Joy to the World', 'Goodwill to all men', somewhere in those olde faithful songs, is the message that a bit of joy into your world, can provide your soul and life with so many riches. I am godless person these days, but I certainly am not faithless. Negativity never provides growth and only seeks to increase those barriers that stop growth from being possible.
Happy Holidays to all our readers and fans, and I hope 2010 will be the year that you hope it will be.
Take Care and be Kind to each other,
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