Without deep and great clarity, a mind cannot have profound, holistic love and compassion. A mind that has great fields of separation, fragmentation, conflict, and division, in (and “as”) itself, is incapable of loving in deep and immeasurable ways. To look with (and “as”) distortion puts one in a false, illusory, separative distance that supports indifference, but not compassion. Unfortunately, a stale, run-of-the-mill, ordinary, miseducated, conditioned mind is not likely to love in a very deep and true sense. Mindlessly belonging to separative organizations and groups that divide man from man is indicative of cognitive reactions that do not reflect deep intelligence and order. (This is the case no matter how much “better” and spiritual these organizations may seem.) Care and understanding emanate from (and “as”) order, not disorder. The profoundly sacred has little relationship with what is false, fragmentary, dead, and illusory.
My Blog primarily consists of close-up nature photos (that I've taken locally) combined with original holistic-truth oriented prose and/or poetry involving mindfulness/awareness. I love nature and I love understanding the whole (not merely the parts and the details). I'm a retired teacher of the multiply handicapped.
I have a number of interesting hobbies, such as fossil collecting, sport-kite flying, 3D and 2D close-up photography, holography, and pets. Most of all, I am into holistic self-awareness, spontaneous insight, unconventional observation/direct perception, mindfulness, meditation, world peace, non-fragmentation, population control, vegetarianism, and green energy.
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Stay mindful, understanding, and caring!...
Tom, I am confused here. For me compassion is not about intellect but a quality that springs from the heart, when a person can FEEL the pain of another. Intellect and feeling seem to me to be parts of the whole and in order to be whole we must have access to feeling.
Sara, please read my posting again. It doesn’t mention that the intellect or intellectual people are wonderfully compassionate… not at all. The heart is a pump that circulates an important substance throughout the body. But i understand what you mean when you say “from the heart.” Feeling is immensely valuable in this. But one cannot have great feeling if one’s perspective and perception are askew. It’s not only feeling the pain of another. It’s that you are that so-called “other.” The borders that we see between each other are illusory lies. Transcend those “learned and inherited borders” and compassion and wisdom are (then) immense.
I will have to agree to disagree Tom and that’s fine. It’s within your definition of what ‘true compassion’ is that I believe is impossible and impractical for most people. But I still believe we can be compassionate towards others and other things. Perhaps aiming to be compassionate is enough and the ‘true’ part us up for debate 🧐
Please don’t try to rewrite my posting with what you think are better words. Personally, i don’t see presence (in a capitalized form) as being all that significant. Peace to you too!
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
Tom, I am confused here. For me compassion is not about intellect but a quality that springs from the heart, when a person can FEEL the pain of another. Intellect and feeling seem to me to be parts of the whole and in order to be whole we must have access to feeling.
Sara, please read my posting again. It doesn’t mention that the intellect or intellectual people are wonderfully compassionate… not at all. The heart is a pump that circulates an important substance throughout the body. But i understand what you mean when you say “from the heart.” Feeling is immensely valuable in this. But one cannot have great feeling if one’s perspective and perception are askew. It’s not only feeling the pain of another. It’s that you are that so-called “other.” The borders that we see between each other are illusory lies. Transcend those “learned and inherited borders” and compassion and wisdom are (then) immense.
Yes, self and other are part of the whole and compassion is that part of us that creates the bridge to self and other…
That then, leaves most of us out of the equation of being able to be ‘truly’ compassionate. 🙂
It only leaves you out if you don’t have the immense passion to change and to transcend mediocrity.
I will have to agree to disagree Tom and that’s fine. It’s within your definition of what ‘true compassion’ is that I believe is impossible and impractical for most people. But I still believe we can be compassionate towards others and other things. Perhaps aiming to be compassionate is enough and the ‘true’ part us up for debate 🧐
In place of Mindfulness, perhaps Presence would be a more accurate way to describe this state of being. Thanks and blessings of Peace to you!
Please don’t try to rewrite my posting with what you think are better words. Personally, i don’t see presence (in a capitalized form) as being all that significant. Peace to you too!
Am free to comment as I wish. It’s an open forum.
Well, when i visit other people’s blogs, i (in courtesy) don’t suggest words for them to use that would be “more accurate.”
So beautiful, amazing macro Tom!
Thank you, Marcela. Keep taking your wonderful photographs like you do! 😊