// 18. Dezember 2022
Warming for body and soul for the people on the street
Almost all of us long for compassion - especially when we are in a bad way. It is generally easier for us to feel compassion for people in our immediate environment, but many people find it strange or even impossible to show compassion to a complete stranger.
For a long time, compassion was considered something that only religions or spiritual traditions were responsible for. One of the first to approach the subject of compassion from a neuroscientific perspective was Paul Gilbert, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Derby. He studied what effects simply practicing a compassion meditation can have on the brain and on human behavior. Subjects in one group meditated on compassion for thirty minutes a day for two weeks. Those in the other group learned to think more discriminately about difficult situations in their lives. At the end of the experiment, the participants were asked whether they wanted to keep their fee, which they would receive for this study, or donate it to charity. The subjects who had meditated were significantly more likely to want to donate it than those who had solely reflected on the subject.
The Gyalwang Drukpa, as founder of the humanitarian Live To Love movement, emphasizes again and again that it depends first on the development of understanding to attain authentic compassion. Here he adds a third perspective to thinking about one's own problems and meditating on compassion: active implementation. We set out as a team under the Live To Love umbrella now 15 years ago, and each time we have gained confirmation that active action not only leads to an indescribable acceleration of understanding, but at the end of the day leaves everyone much more compassionate - more grateful, more aware, and significantly more non-judgmental, which feels like salvation. We have learned so much about the individual life cuts that can lead to being marginalized.
What remains abstruse is that for most people there is no way out to end the challenging life on the streets. Because without housing there is no work and without work there is no housing ...
Our team was shocked today to see how rudimentarily equipped the many people on the street are trying to survive from this bitter cold and the cutting east wind. Fortunately, in addition to the cold bus, there are other great volunteer institutions, groups and individuals who are there for the homeless fellow citizens.
We wish endless happiness to all the people and animals living on the streets! Above all, health, safe shelter, warm-hearted encounters and help.
Sincerely
Your Live To Love Team - for the 4th Advent
Your Live To Love Team - for the 4th Advent