Have you ever get tangled up in your emotions? It happens to the best of us! Through this blog I would mention about two powerful emotions: love and compassion. We all know love, that rush of passion that makes life feel like a vibrant song. And then there’s Compassion. Have you ever thought mindfully about compassion, its quiet strength and liberating power? Let’s read through…
Something about Love and Compassion
Imagine your emotions like colourful threads. Love, fuelled by passion, can be an intense thread, binding you closely to someone or something. It’s beautiful, yes, but sometimes it can feel restrictive, like a tight knot. Think of those couples lost in their own world, oblivious to everything else. That “conspiracy of love,” as I call it, can be fun, but it can also become a pressure cooker of expectations and limitations. Think of someone you love and read these lines again.
But compassion is a different thread altogether. It’s like a soft, flowing silk, weaving its way through all aspects of life. It doesn’t discriminate between good or bad, happy or sad. It simply acknowledges and understands the suffering of others, even those we might not particularly like.
Imagine that person who irritates you and makes you angry. Compassion doesn’t judge them, it sees their struggles and offers understanding, maybe even a helping hand. This doesn’t mean becoming a doormat, but it opens your heart to a wider world, free from the entanglements of exclusive love.
So, can you think of the difference? Love is often fuelled by passion, it is beautiful but enclosed our bound to a particular person or thing. Compassion is like a flowing river that liberates us and allows us to connect with everyone and everything, without judgment or expectation.
I’ll try to take you deeper into these fascinating emotions and maybe help in uncovering how love can transform into compassion and how embracing this shift has enriched my life in an unimaginable way.
Transforming Love into Compassion
Remember that tangled thread of love written earlier? Yes, it can be intense, but sometimes, that intensity can feel like walking a tightrope or similar to an electric wire. We become heavily reliant on goodness of our loved ones, and when things didn’t align with our expectations, the knot tightens, and suffering sets in.
But there’s a passionate spark in love that holds the potential to transform into something bigger, something free and this is what is termed as – compassion. Think that the intense thread slowly loosening, its vibrant color softening into a gentler tone of colour. It starts expanding and loosening or liberating, reaching out to encompass not just one person, but everyone around you. That’s the essence of compassion – an all-encompassing understanding and care.
Think about it this way: when you first fall in love, it’s like discovering a hidden treasure box. You focus solely on its contents, guarding them jealously, hiding it from the world, protecting it from everyone everywhere. But compassion on the other hand is like opening that chest and sharing its riches with the world. It’s not about shifting your love, but about expanding it, allowing it to flow freely towards all beings, regardless of their flaws or circumstances.
From Love to Compassion, this transformation can never be a one-time thing. It’s a journey, a continuous expansion of our emotional landscape. The more you practice compassion, the easier it becomes. You start seeing the world through a different lens, one where suffering isn’t something to judge, but an opportunity to connect and offer help and support.
Remember that person who used to irritate you and makes you angry? Now, with the lens of compassion, you might see their anger as a cry for help, their negativity as a symptom of their own struggles. This doesn’t mean disregarding or excusing their behavior, but it allows you to respond with empathy and understanding, breaking the cycle of negativity and creating space for healing.
This shift from entangled love to unbound compassion isn’t always easy. It requires practice, self-awareness, and a willingness to let go of limiting beliefs. But trust me, the rewards are incredible. With compassion, you’ll experience a deeper connection with the world, a lighter heart, and a newfound sense of freedom from the entanglements of exclusive love.
How I turned Compassionate
Alright, time to share something personal! I mentioned earlier “conspiracy of love”, let me tell you, I’ve lived that story multiple times, in colleges, corporate journey. Most prominent ones being, an instance of 9-10 years ago, one 6-7 years ago, another instance 2-3 years ago. I had this feeling of love from my side, which was all about intense passion, a cyclone of emotions focused solely on person of my affection. I was in my own little world of imagination, excluding everything else, and while it felt magical only to me at that time, now that I think about it, it was also limiting. The excitement and pressure to maintain that identity of a perfect partner was immense, and any perceived “badness” could potentially ruin the illusion, which mostly leads to pain and disappointment.
But life, as it does, threw me some bouncers. Relations shifted, expectations clashed, and the tight knot of love started to loosen itself. It was confusing, a bit uncomfortable in beginning, but it also became the catalyst for my journey towards compassion. The thing that helped me a lot was being conscious about feelings, introspecting why I am getting this much affected by something which is not part of me. Thanks to multiple YouTube videos, Inner Engineering of Sadhguru, Mindvalley Lessons, Vipassana, many books, and slowly, I began to understand that love, in its pure form, shouldn’t be about exclusivity or possession. It should be like a lighthouse, shining its light on everyone, regardless of their proximity or perceived “goodness.”
This shift wasn’t a sudden flash of insights, but a gradual unfolding of realisations and visions. I started practicing mindfulness, meditations, getting deep into practices that I learnt, paying attention to my own emotions and reactions without judgment. I opened myself up to different perspectives, trying to understand the “why” behind people’s actions, even those who irritated me or have left me or are not in touch anymore. Slowly, the walls of my emotional fortress began to crumble, replaced by a sense of empathy and interconnectedness with everyone. I still help a lot of those who are best of my friends and even those who have rejected and left me or no longer active part of my life, I’m still open to have cup of coffee with them whenever they feel like. Many a times I’ve left my things, just to be there for them. If I would have been in love, exclusive to one person, I might not be that person who’s there for everyone wholeheartedly.
It wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows. There were moments of doubt, flashes of old patterns banging their heads sometimes. But with each conscious effort, each act of compassion, I felt a lightness I hadn’t experienced before. The world seemed less harsh, judgments faded, and a sense of peace I never thought possible started to take root. And the joy it gives is something very rare, sweet and cannot be compared. I am also very grateful to few of my friends who I believe think in same way, being there for others and sometimes people of such kind to need support too, so we are there mutually for each other and in those moments you forget all sufferings, entanglements, judgements and drive each other to amplify this feeling.
Now, please don’t get me wrong, I still experience passion, that spark of excitement for certain people and things i.e. Love. But it’s no longer an exclusive feeling, it’s more of a warm feeling that radiates outwards, embracing the world in its gentle glow. The best part is – this shift from feeling of Love to showing Compassion hasn’t reduced the intensity of my close relations. On the contrary, it has actually strengthened them. My love, care and support for people has become more genuine, more accepting, and ultimately, more fulfilling.
This was a very short glimpse of my personal transformation. I know for sure your’s will be different. But if you’re resonating with this exploration of love and compassion, remember, you’re not alone. Feel about your own thoughts, your struggles, and your victories. Create a space where all can learn from each other, support each other, and collectively move towards a world where compassion is prominent feeling, untangling us from the limitations of exclusive love and guiding us towards the boundless feeling of liberation.