Universe: Hello, dear one. How art thou?

Me (Alexandra): Hello! I art quite excited, actually! You know those moments when you suddenly see something you couldn’t see before?

U: Well, no. We see everything, all the time.

A: Oh yeah, I forgot. We humans have a lot of catching up to do! Anyway, I had a good AHA! moment this morning. I was walking along the path close to my home that leads down to a treed ravine, and I wasn’t far into my Alphabet of the Heart. Letter C, in fact. For compassion.

U: This is a doubly good way to start your day, benefitting your body and your mind-heart.

A: Yes, I love it, once I’ve talked myself into getting out of bed!

U: Which in itself is an act of compassion for your well-being.

A: I never thought of it in quite that way before. I’ll remember what You said when the third alarm has gone off tomorrow morning!

Anyway, back to my AHA! moment. I suddenly saw the word compassion as compassion.

“That’s it!” I exulted in my mind.”Compassion is my compass! If I act with compassion I’ll go in the right direction!”

There’s an interesting metaphor here. I never understood compasses. The physical kind, I mean. As a child they fascinated me, and I recall my dad, a skilled navigator, explaining their mysteries to me, but I could never “get” it.

To those who understand them, a compass is a simple and reliable tool for finding direction. It allows the happy user to plan routes and navigate the terrain with assurance and confidence.

I never did any of those things. In my life, I mean. I was thinking this morning that when I emigrated to Canada at the tender age of 21, I hadn’t a clue where I’d be sleeping that night after I disembarked from the plane. I always launched myself into the great unknown and hoped for the best. Not a strategy I’d recommend to anyone.

U: We watched you with concern.

A: I understand Your concern, and I thank you for it. At least since I got into Buddhism and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo I’m less reckless than I used to be. It always took the School of Hard Knocks to wake me up, though. But at least I did!

U: Indeed.

A: Did You know that Earth is a giant magnet? Oh, sorry, I forgot again. You know everything!

I’m amazed to learn that deep inside our green and blue planet the movement of molten iron in the outer core generates a magnetic field. Not only that, this magnetic field extends right around the planet and out into space. I’m living on a miracle!

Also, Earth’s magnetic north shifts over time, because the molten iron core is constantly moving. So if you’re using a compass you have to make allowances for the difference between magnetic north and True North.

Compassion is like that. You have to tailor it according to people and circumstances. And the times. It isn’t one size fits all.

So I figure that if I use compassion wisely as my compass, I’ll increasingly find myself in the right place at the right time with the right attitude, and therefore I can help create the best outcome for myself and others.

U: Excellent. I believe humans refer to this as win-win. We approve!

“When we care for others our own strength to live increases. When we help people expand their state of life, our lives also expand. … Actions to benefit others are not separate from actions to benefit oneself.” ~ Daisaku Ikeda

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash