Compassion, a Great Choice to Begin the Revolution

This past week Seattle was full of Dalai Lama fire. Over 150,000 persons saw ,heard the words of and prayed with the Dalai Lama in some way.  Our students and I being amongst them.   I hope when he leaves, we who believe in compassion, will take serious note of all that was said to us.  In order for compassion to take on in the world we must take action.  It may be as simple as sharing your ride, sharing a latte, or even a smile.  These seemingly small acts when multiplied turn the ordinary, sharing, into the extraordinary and a movement is built.  Gandhi new this, King knew this, and today the Dalai Lama reminds us.  He told of a monk he knew that was arrested in 1959 by the Chinese communists.  His friend was jailed for eighteen years, the charge, for being a practicing Tibetian monk.  When his friend was released the Dalai Lama, "said how can you have so much joy in your face so much love in your heart? "  The monk said, I learned in prison to love my enemy, to have compassion for my enemy and the Dalai Lama said, "he is a much better monk than I and...you see we do need our enemies to teach us compassion. "   Gandhi carried that notion by looking into the eyes of the British Soldiers of the Occupation to let them know there time in India was no longer needed and through non-violent acts of compassion and disobedience they left. King knew the struggle to love the enemy when Montgomery authorities put out a warrant for his arrest,  to make it easier for them,he did not hide or flee to Atlanta, he went right to the jail, with a smile on his face and a cooperative spirit, the officiers did not know what to do except receive the graciousness and actually return it.  So yes a little compassion given freely can change the world.