A Call for Compassion and ConnectionThousands of years ago, Buddhists in Asia began to put a face to the quality of compassion. It was a face that reflected a quiet strength and the capacity for a caring response to suffering. At times it was the face of a woman, at other times, a man. It took other forms too, manifesting in whatever way responded to the situation most compassionately. This is the face of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, a being also known as Guanyin, Kannon, and Chenrezig. Her name means “the one who hears the cries of the world.” These days it’s not hard to hear the cries of the world, as they are broadcast on television, captured in movies, and shared on social media. Suffering is presented to us as information and as entertainment every day. Joys and triumphs are also presented, though perhaps not as loudly. And as practitioners, it is up to us to let those cries reach our hearts and to respond with compassion. However, our hearts can become tired. This phenomena is called, “compassion fatigue.” Practice can nourish the heart, so that we can offer compassion to ourselves and to this world that needs it so badly. We can enjoy pervading the mind and heart with the light of loving kindness. We can simply sit and observe the body and mind, letting wave after wave of tension be washed away by the breath. We can chant, body and mind moved, becoming instruments of harmony. By filling ourselves with Dhamma, we too become the faces of compassion. I hope you will join me and the sincere practitioners of Dassanāya Buddhist Community, and experience the nourishment that comes from being in the company of people who know the faces of compassion. With you in joy and suffering,
Ayya Dhammadīpā
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