On-demand courses by design are self-paced and can be taken anytime. You can access the course for at least 6 months. On-demand courses do not include interactions with an instructor.
This course normally costs $25.00. Register for this course during December 2024 and access this course at no charge!
Limited Time Course Cost: No Charge
The Essence of Compassion is intended to take you on a historical and cultural journey of the development of, and thinking about and acting with compassion. In participating in the course you will simultaneously develop your own definition of compassion by determining what it is and isn’t. You’ll do this by journaling, reading, watching videos, listening to poetry and music and observing art that reflects views of compassion.The Essence of Compassion 2.0 is a revision of the original course created in 2018 and since then has been completed by more than 3000 participants. If you previously took the course you will find a good amount of new material, and new ways in which to get involved in deepening your own understanding of compassion. More importantly, you'll have an opportunity to explore how you can make compassion an action and a practice. While this course can be experienced individually, it is suggested that you find at least one or preferably two more people to take it with you. This will give you an immediate small group to discuss the lessons and help in generating and completing compassionate actions.
Goals of the Course
- Capture and analyze opinions, reflections and observations on compassionate theories and actions.
- Create a personal definition of compassion that is informed by a variety of sources.
Objectives of the Course
- Use various forms of journaling and mapping to record expressed ideas on compassion.
- Dispel myths on survival verses compassion.
- Explore ideas that may challenge our wisdom on compassion and empathy.
- Determine a personal circle of compassion and then to consider what it means to work for a more compassionate and ethical world.
- Experience stories, music and art that may present a different perspective on compassion than one’s own feelings and thoughts about compassion.
- Consider the language of compassion and its important use in one’s own life.
- Analyze how compassion is the structural base for a sustainable and harmonious world.
- Review how compassion is a skill and reflect on how it can be practiced within one’s own life.
Introductory Lesson: Notables Speak on Compassion
If you go to Goodreads you'll find that there are over 2500 quotes on compassion from writers, philosophers and historical figures. Challenging and insightful comments have been made by notable figures from Arthur Schopenhauer to Anne Frank. In this lesson you will experience a variety of statements that add to, or challenge, your personal definition of compassion. Undoubtedly, you will find several concepts to expand your thinking on compassion.
Lesson One: What is Compassion?
The core or true essence of compassion is the deep awareness of the suffering of others, coupled with a sincere desire to alleviate that suffering. Compassion is fundamentally about connection—recognizing our shared humanity and responding to the pain or struggles of others with empathy, kindness, and action. It also means relating to our own struggle.
Lesson Two: Circles of Compassion
A circle of compassion can be envisioned as an ever-expanding, inclusive space where empathy, kindness, and care extend beyond the immediate and personal to encompass all beings and the natural world. It is not a closed or fixed boundary but rather a dynamic, growing sphere of concern and responsibility that reflects our interconnectedness with everything around us.
Lesson Three: The Battle with CompassionIn his book, In "The Battle for Compassion: Ethics in an Apathetic Universe," Jonathan Leighton
presents a framework for understanding the root causes of apathy and explores how social, cognitive, and emotional barriers prevent individuals from acting ethically. He encourages people to question societal norms and assumptions, advocating for an ethical transformation where empathy, mindfulness, and proactive kindness become integral to daily life. His work calls for both personal reflection and structural changes, suggesting that we reframe our ethics around minimizing suffering and maximizing compassion.
Lesson Four: Empathy and Compassion
Empathy and compassion are both vital components of human connection, but they serve different roles. Empathy allows us to feel and understand others' emotions, while compassion takes this understanding further by motivating us to take action to help. Understanding these differences is crucial, especially in preventing empathy fatigue and recognizing the true, energizing nature of compassion. By practicing compassion, we not only help others but also improve our own physical and mental health, creating a positive cycle of well-being.
Lesson Five: Linking Love to Compassion
Love and compassion are deeply intertwined and mutually reinforcing. Love can be seen as the foundation of compassion, while compassion is the expression of love in action. When you love someone or something, you naturally feel a desire to care for them, to alleviate their suffering, and to see them thrive. This desire to help and support others is the essence of compassion.
Lesson Six: The Dimensions of Compassion
The dimensions of compassion expand as our understanding of interconnectedness deepens. From universal and non-dualistic compassion to spontaneous, transformative, and embodied compassion, these dimensions reflect the many ways in which compassion can manifest when we recognize the unity of all beings. This recognition dissolves the boundaries that separate us, allowing compassion to flow freely and naturally, enriching both our own lives and the world around us.
Lesson Seven: The Eyes of Compassion
This lesson is all about seeing--seeing compassion. As those of us who are seeing people, we often find ourselves walking through life with blinders on, or being oblivious to what we've just seen. How often have you been confronted with someone saying: "Did you see that," and your response is "See what?"
Lesson Eight: Depicting Compassion Through the Arts
This is a rather long lesson and while we hope you are enticed to read material from all of the individuals included, we expect that you may not. Why not select four or five activities that interest you? You might select people you don't know, or find interest in learning more about individuals within whom you are familiar. There is a balance of artists, musicians, writers, poets and political activities from which to chose.
Lesson Nine: Why We Need Compassion
We have been on a long journey--this journey of compassion. In some ways, we have come full circle from defining compassion in our own terms, expanding its meaning by learning from others, considering how implementing compassion is key to changing how we live our lives.
We end the Essence of Compassion course by presenting offering three considerations:
Karen Armstrong's TED talk on Compassion and Affirming the Charter for Compassion
- Maria Popova's essay on "Compassion and the Real Meaning of the Golden Rule"
- Paul Gilbert's article on "How to Turn Your Brain From Anger to Compassion"
