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Compassion is a human emotion prompted by the pain of others. More vigorous than empathy, the feeling commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another's suffering. It is often, though not inevitably, the key component in what manifests in the social context as altruism. Wikipedia.org/wiki/Compassion

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Abraham J. Heschel
A religious man is a person who holds God and man in one thought at one time, at all times, who suffers harm done to others, whose greatest passion is compassion, whose greatest strength is love and defiance of despair.” Abraham J. Heschel quotes (Jewish theologian and philosopher, 1907-1972)

Albert Schweitzer

Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace. Albert Schweitzer

Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind. Albert Schweitzer

I can do no other than be reverent before everything that is called life. I can do no other than to have compassion for all that is called life. That is the beginning and the foundation of all ethics. Albert Schweitzer

The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others. Albert Schweitzer

“The human spirit is not dead. It lives on in secret... It has come to believed that compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind.-” Albert Schweitzer quotes (German medical Missionary, Theologian, Musician and Philosopher. 1952 Nobel Peace Prize, 1875-1965)

 

Albert Schweitzer
It is a man's sympathy with all creatures that truly makes him a man. Until he extends his circle of compassion to all living things, man himself will not find peace.  Albert Schweitzer

Anne McCaffrey 
Make no judgments where you have no compassion.” Anne McCaffrey.

Arnold Toynbee
Compassion is the desire that moves the individual self to widen the scope of its self-concern to embrace the whole of the universal self.” Arnold Toynbee quotes (English Economic Historian and social reformer, 1889-1975)

Arthur Jersild
Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity. It is through compassion that a person achieves the highest peak and deepest reach in his or her search for self-fulfillment.  Arthur Jersild
 

 Arthur Schopenhauer
“Compassion is the basis of all morality” Arthur Schopenhauer quotes (German Philosopher, 1788-1860)

Arthur H. Stainback 
The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands.”
Arthur H. Stainback 

Ashley Young
If you can’t find it in your own heart to be compassionate look in someone else's before giving up on love altogether.” Ashley Young.

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Báb
The Secret's" message is to let go of all blame because it only destroys you, and to move forward with hope, love, compassion and kindness. Báb

 Barbara Ehrenreich
The media have just buried the last yuppie, a pathetic creature who had not heard the news that the great pendulum of public consciousness has just swung from Greed to Compassion and from Tex-Mex to meatballs Barbara Ehrenreich

Betty Williams
Compassion is more important than intellect in calling forth the love that the work of peace needs, and intuition can often be a far more powerful searchlight than cold reason.   Betty Williams

 Bhagavad Gita
Out of compassion I destroy the darkness of their ignorance. From within them I light the lamp of wisdom and dispel all darkness from their lives Bhagavad Gita

Bishop Robert South
There never was any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender and compassionate.  Bishop Robert South

Buddha 

In separateness lies the world's great misery, in compassion lies the world's true strength.” Buddha 

Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little  Buddha
 
Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.  Buddha

‎"Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little."  Buddha

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Christina Baldwin
With compassion, we see benevolently our own human condition and the condition of our fellow beings. We drop prejudice. We withhold judgment.  Christina Baldwin

Christopher Germer
“A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. A string of such moments can change the course of your life.” Christopher Germer, The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion

Cindy Spring , Charles Garfield

By compassion we mean the deep feeling that comes when we recognize our soul's reflection in another person, when that other person's pain or joy becomes our own. Cindy Spring , Charles Garfield "Wisdom Circles: A Guide to Self Discovery and Community Building in Small Groups "

 Confucius
Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men. Confucius

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Dalsaku Ikeda

"Humanity's collective mission in the cosmos lies in the practice of compassion." Dalsaku Ikeda, Japanese philosopher

Dalai Lama

I truly believe that compassion provides the basis of human survival. Dalai Lama

 

“A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities.” Dalai Lama

The whole purpose of religion is to facilitate love and compassion, patience, tolerance, humility, forgiveness. H.H. the Dalai Lama

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
Dalai Lama quotes (Head of the Dge-lugs-pa order of Tibetan Buddhists, 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, b.1935)

For those who may not find happiness to exercise religious faith, it's okay to remain a radical atheist, it's absolutely an individual right, but the important thing is with a compassionate heart -- then no problem.”
Dalai Lama quotes (Head of the Dge-lugs-pa order of Tibetan Buddhists, 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, b.1935)

It is lack of love for ourselves that inhibits our compassion toward others. If we make friends with ourselves, then there is no obstacle to opening our hearts and minds to others.”

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.”
Dalai Lama quotes (Head of the Dge-lugs-pa order of Tibetan Buddhists, 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, b.1935)

“Each of us in our own way can try to spread compassion into people’s hearts. Western civilizations these days place great importance on filling the human 'brain' with knowledge, but no one seems to care about filling the human 'heart' with compassion. This is what the real role of religion is.” Dalai Lama

 

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” 

“I believe compassion to be one of the few things we can practice that will bring immediate and long-term happiness to our lives. I’m not talking about the short-term gratification of pleasures like sex, drugs or gambling (though I’m not knocking them), but something that will bring true and lasting happiness. The kind that sticks.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
 

“The whole purpose of religion is to facilitate love and compassion, patience, tolerance, humility, and forgiveness.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
 

“Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.” 

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” ― Dalai Lama XIV, The Art of Happiness
 

“A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
 

“The purpose of all the major religious traditions is not to construct big temples on the outside, but to create temples of goodness and compassion inside, in our hearts.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
 

“Love and Compassion are the true religions to me. But to develop this, we do not need to believe in any religion.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
 

“When we are motivated by compassion and wisdom, the results of our actions benefit everyone, not just our individual selves or some immediate convenience. When we are able to recognize and forgive ignorant actions of the past, we gain strength to constructively solve the problems of the present.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
 

“Compassion is the radicalism of our time.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
 

“We can reject everything else: religion, ideology, all received
wisdom. But we cannot escape the necessity of love and compassion....
This, then, is my true religion, my simple faith. In this sense, there is no need
for temple or church, for mosque or synagogue, no need for complicated
philosophy, doctrine or dogma. Our own heart, our own mind, is the temple.
The doctrine is compassion. Love for others and respect for their rights and
dignity, no matter who or what they are: ultimately these are all we need.
So long as we practice these in our daily lives, then no matter if we are
learned or unlearned, whether we believe in Buddha or God, or follow some
other religion or none at all, as long as we have compassion for others and
conduct ourselves with restraint out of a sense of responsibility, there is
no doubt we will be happy.”
 

“All major religious traditions carry basically the same message that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives."

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."  This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”

Compassion and love are not a luxury. As the source both of inner and external peace, they are fundamental to the survival of our species” ― DalaiLama

"I believe that at every level of society the key to a happier world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities."  Dalai Lama

 
Each of us in our own way can try to spread compassion into people’s hearts. Western civilizations these days place great importance on filling the human 'brain' with knowledge, but no one seems to care about filling the human 'heart' with compassion. This is what the real role of religion is.  Dalai Lama

 

 Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.   Dalai Lama

 

I have observed that religious practice is not a precondition either of ethical conduct or of happiness itself. I have also suggested that, whether a person practices religion or not, the spiritual qualities of love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, humility and so on are indispensable. Dalai Lama

 

I really feel that some people neglect and overlook compassion because they associate it with religion. Of course, everyone is free to choose whether they pay religion any regard, but to neglect compassion is a mistake because it is the source of our own well-being.

 

It is the enemy who can truly teach us to practice the virtues of compassion and tolerance.  Dalai Lama
 

Compassion automatically brings happiness and calmness. Then, even if you receive disturbing news, it will be easier to take, as your mind is still. Dalai Lama

World economies are always so tenuous and we are subject to so many losses in life, but a compassionate attitude is something we can always carry with us. Dalai Lama

I have observed that religious practice is not a precondition either of ethical conduct or of happiness itself. I have also suggested that, whether a person practices religion or not, the spiritual qualities of love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, humility and so on are indispensable. Dalai Lama

Desmond Tutu 

"Compassion is not just feeling with someone, but seeking to change the situation. Frequently people think compassion and love are merely sentimental. No! They are very demanding. If you are going to be compassionate, be prepared for action!"
Desmond Tutu 

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Eric Hoffer

“Compassion is the antitoxin of the soul: where there is compassion even the most poisonous impulses remain relatively harmless.”  Eric Hoffer
 

Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us.” Eric Hoffer quotes (American Writer, 1902-1983)

 

Everett M. Dirksen
The mind is no match with the heart in persuasion; constitutionality is no match with compassion.  Everett M. Dirksen

Eckhart Tolle

Compassion is the awareness of a deep bond between yourself and all creatures. On the one hand, since you are still here as a physical body, you share the vulnerability and mortality of your physical form with every other human and with every living being. On the level of form, you share mortality and the precariousness of existence. The Power of Now  Eckhart Tolle

Is that what compassion is? Yes. Compassion is the awareness of a deep bond between yourself and all creatures. But there are two sides to compassion, two sides to this bond. On the one hand, since you are still here as a physical body, you share the vulnerability and mortality of your physical form with every other human and with every living being. Next time you say "I have nothing in common with this person," remember that you have a great deal in common: ...
 

The realization of this deathless dimension, your true nature, is the other side of compassion. On a deep feeling-level, you now recognize not only your own immortality but through your own that of every other creature as well. On the level of form, you share mortality and the precariousness of existence. On the level of Being, you share eternal, radiant life. These are the two aspects of compassion. In compassion, the seemingly opposite feelings of sadness and joy merge into one and become transmuted into a deep inner peace. This is the peace of God. It is one of the most noble feelings that humans are capable of, and it has great healing and transformative power. But true compassion, as I have just described it, is as yet rare. To have deep empathy for the suffering of another being certainly requires a high degree of consciousness but represents only one side of compassion. It is not complete. True compassion goes beyond empathy or sympathy. It does not happen until sadness merges with joy, the joy of Being beyond form, the joy of eternal life. The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen." Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Erma Bombeck

It is not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding.  Erma Bombeck

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Felix Frankfurter
Lincoln's appeal to 'the better angels of our nature' failed to avert a fratricidal war. But the compassionate wisdom of Lincoln's first and second inaugurals bequeathed to the Union, cemented with blood, a moral heritage which, when drawn upon in times of stress and strife, is sure to find specific ways and means to surmount difficulties that may appear to be insurmountable  Felix Frankfurter

Francis of Assisi
If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men. Saint Francis of Assisi

Frank Capra
Compassion is a two way street.  Frank Capra

Frank Herbert
I cry for those not yet dead.” Frank Herbert quotes (American science fiction Author and Writer 1920-1986)

Frederick Buechner
Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too.” Frederick Buechner quotes (American Author, b.1926)

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Compassion for the friend should conceal itself under a hard shell. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

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Gandhi
“It ill becomes us to invoke in our daily prayers the blessings of God, the Compassionate, if we in turn will not practice elementary compassion toward our fellow creatures.” Mohandas Gandhi

George McGovern
So, I think that’s the centerpiece of morality: Don’t lie. But to do that, you have to go a step further and find out what the truth is. You know, it’s easy to say, “I’ll never tell a lie.” But if you say, “I’m going to speak the truth,” you’re going to have to work damn hard to find out what the truth is. The next thing is just plain, old, simple kindness: to other people, to your family. Love for other people. I think that’s another very important part of morality, being genuinely compassionate and concerned about the feelings and well being of other people, especially those that depend on you directly. 
 George McGovern

George Washington Carver
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. George Washington Carver

Giovanni Boccaccio
Human it is to have compassion on the unhappy. Giovanni Boccaccio

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 H. Stainback
The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands. 
 H. Stainback

Haile Selassie
"It is much easier to show compassions to animals. They are never wicked.” Haile Selassie quotes (Ethiopian Statesman and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, 1892-1975)

 Henry Fielding
Want oœ compassion is not to be numbered among the general faults of mankind. The black ingredient which fouls our disposition is envy. Hence our eyes, it is to be feared, are seldom turned up to those who are manifestly greater, better, wiser, or happier than ourselves, without some degree of malignity, we commonly look downward on the mean and miserable with sufficient benevolence and pity. Henry Fielding

Henry Ward Beecher
Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation.” Henry Ward Beecher quotes (Liberal US Congregational minister, 1813-1887)

Hubert H. Humphrey 
"Compassion is not weakness, and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism.”
Hubert H. Humphrey 

Hugh Blair
Compassion is an emotion of which we ought never to be ashamed. Graceful, particularly in youth, is the tear of sympathy, and the heart that melts at the tale of woe. We should not permit ease and indulgence to contract our affections, and wrap us up in a selfish enjoyment; but we should accustom ourselves to think of the distresses of human, life, of the solitary cottage; the dying parent, and the weeping orphan. Nor ought we ever to sport with pain and distress in any of our amusements, or treat even the meanest insect with wanton cruelty. Hugh Blair

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Jack Kornfield

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.  Jack Kornfield

John Fitzgerald Kennedy
I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, human liberty as the source of national action, the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas” John Fitzgerald Kennedy quotes (American 35th US President (1961-63), 1917-1963)

Joseph Addison
True benevolence, or compassion, extends itself through the whole of existence and sympathizes with the distress of every creature capable of sensation.  Joseph Addison
 

Junius
Compassion to an offender who has grossly violated the laws is, in effect, a cruelty to the peaceable subject who has observed them. Junius

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Khalil Gibran
The chemist who can extract from his heart's elements compassion, respect, longing, patience, regret, surprise, and forgiveness and compound them into one can create that atom which is called love. Khalil Gibran

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Sri Swami Sivananda
Life is short. Time is fleeting. Realise the Self. Purity of the heart is the gateway to God. Aspire. Renounce. Meditate. Be good; do good. Be kind; be compassionate. Inquire, know Thyself  Sri Swami Sivananda

Leo C. Rosten
I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be honourable, to be compassionate. It is, after all, to matter: to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.  Leo C. Rosten

Lord Byron
The dew of compassion is a tear.” Lord Byron quotes (English Romantic poet and satirist, 1788-1824)

 Lucretia Mott
Christian soldiers armed with virtue- hearts afire with blind obsession, cannot see the difference 'twixt compassion and oppression”  Lucretia Mott.

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Martin Luther King, Jr.

Compassion and nonviolence help us to see the enemy's point of view,
to hear their questions, to know their assessment of ourselves.
For from their point of view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses
of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit
from the wisdom of the brothers and sisters who are called the opposition.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

"True compassion, is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Compassion and nonviolence help us to see the enemy's point of view, to hear their questions, to know their assessment of ourselves. For from their point of view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers and sisters who are called the opposition. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mason Cooley 
Compassion brings us to a stop, and for a moment we rise above ourselves  Mason Cooley 
 

Matthew Fox
Compassion is not sentiment but is making justice and doing works of mercy. Compassion is not a moral commandment but a flow and overflow of the fullest human and divine energies.  Matthew Fox

Meister Eckhart
No-one knows what the soul is. But what we do know is, the soul is where God works compassion  Meister Eckhart

Milan Kundera 
There is nothing heavier than compassion. Not even one's own pain weighs so heavy as the pain one feels for someone, for someone, pain intensified by the imagination and prolonged by a hundred echos.” Milan Kundera quotes (Czech Novelist, Playwright and Poet, b.1929)

Mother Teresa
"Compassion begins at home, and it is not how much we do but how much love we put in that action. Do not think that love has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired." Mother Teresa

Muhammad 
No man is a true believer unless he desireth for his brother that which he desireth for himself”
Muhammad quotes ( Religious leader, prophet of Islam )

Maya Angelou
I believe we are still so innocent. The species are still so innocent that a person who is apt to be murdered believes that the murderer, just before he puts the final wrench on his throat, will have enough compassion to give him one sweet cup of wat”
Maya Angelou  (American Poet, b.1928)

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Paula Cole
For me music is a vehicle to bring our pain to the surface, getting it back to that humble and tender spot where, with luck, it can lose its anger and become compassion again.” Paula Cole quotes

Pema Chodron
Compassionate action involves working with ourselves as much as working with others.  Pema Chodron

Pema Chödrön
“Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.” - Pema Chödrön

Peter De Vries
When I can no longer bear to think of the victims of broken homes, I begin to think of the victims of intact ones.” Peter De Vries quotes (American comic visionary, Editor, Novelist, Satirist and Linguist. 1910-1993)
Similar Quotes.  

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 Ralph Waldo Emerson
The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Richard Dawkins 
After sleeping through a hundred million centuries we have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with color, bountiful with life. Within decades we must close our eyes again. Isn’t it a noble, an enlightened way of spending our brief time in the sun, to work at understanding the universe and how we have come to wake up in it? This is how I answer when I am asked—as I am surprisingly often—why I bother to get up in the mornings.” Richard Dawkins 

Robert F. Kennedy
What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black. Robert F. Kennedy

Rush Limbaugh 
Compassion is no substitute for justice.”
Rush Limbaugh quotes (American, b.1951)

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Samuel Johnson
The wretched have no compassion, they can do good only from strong principles of duty. 
 Samuel Johnson

Sara Paddison
You'll discover that real love is millions of miles past falling in love with anyone or anything. When you make that one effort to feel compassion instead of blame or self-blame, the heart opens again and continues opening  Sara Paddison

Simone De Beauvoir
One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion  Simone De Beauvoir

Simone Weil
Difficult as it is really to listen to someone in affliction, it is just as difficult for him to know that compassion is listening to him.  Simone Weil
 

Sogyal Rinpoche
...when we finally know we are dying, and all other sentient beings are dying with us, we start to have a burning, almost heartbreaking sense of the fragility and preciousness of each moment and each being, and from this can grow a deep, clear, limitless compassion for all beings.  Sogyal Rinpoche

Sri Chinmoy
A single God – touch From God’s Compassion – Height Can transform man’s unimaginable And countless weaknesses Into God’s own infinite,Immortal and omnipotent Power.  Sri Chinmoy

Sri Chinmoy
God's Compassion - Eye gives us Not only one Chance But countless chances To change our wrong directions  Sri Chinmoy

Sri Swami Sivananda
Life is short. Time is fleeting. Realise the Self. Purity of the heart is the gateway to God. Aspire. Renounce. Meditate. Be good; do good. Be kind; be compassionate. Inquire, know Thyself  Sri Swami Sivananda

superfrodo
I came upon a doctor who appeared in quite poor health. I said, 'There's nothing that I can do for you that you can't do for yourself.' He said, 'Oh yes you can. Just hold my hand. I think that that would help.' So I sat with him a while then I asked him how he felt. He said, 'I think I'm cured.'”
superfrodo

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Tao Te Ching

With compassion one becomes courageous. Compassion brings triumph when attacked; it brings security when maintained. Tao Te Ching
 

Teresa of Avila
Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours.Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now  Saint Teresa of Avila

Tiffany Madison
“Nothing renews my faith in humanity more than the exchange of compassion so profound that mere words cannot embrace it.”   Tiffany Madison, Black and White
 

Theodore Falcon
"Each of us has response-ability for our unique piece of Creation, but only from the deeper wisdom and compassion of our Greater Self can we truly care for the world entrusted to us."
Rabbi Theodore Falcon
 

Thomas Aquinas
I would rather feel compassion than know the meaning of it Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Browne
By compassion we make others' misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also”
Thomas Browne, Sr. quotes

Thomas Fuller
The True happiness that Man has searched for since the dawn of humanity, that is the inner gold that awaits any person who holds compassionately the key of anonymous generosity. Do something for your fellow man, not for the gold, but for the love of Man, and you shall truly have the gold.” Thomas Fuller

Thomas Merton

Thomas Paine
Compassion, the fairest associate of the heart. Thomas Paine

Thich Nhat Hanh 

To love our enemy is impossible. The moment we understand our enemy, we feel compassion towards him/her, and he/she is no longer our enemy.  Thich Nhat Hanh

"Compassion is a mind that removes the suffering that is present in the other." Thich Nhat Hanh

We often think of peace as the absence of war; that if the powerful countries would reduce their arsenals, we could have peace. But if we look deeply into the weapons, we see our own minds - our prejudices, fears, and ignorance. Even if we transported all the bombs to the moon, the roots of war and the reasons for bombs would still be here, in our hearts and minds, and sooner or later we would make new bombs. Seek to become more aware of what causes anger and separation, and what overcomes them. Root out the violence in your life, and learn to live compassionately and mindfully. Thich Nhat Hanh

 
If you are motivated by loving kindness and compassion, there are many ways to bring happiness to others right now, starting with kind speech.  Thich Nhat Hanh

 
But if we have the energy of compassion and loving kindness in us, the people around us will be influenced by our way of being and living. Thich Nhat Hanh

 

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U Thant
Wars begin in the minds of man, and in those minds, love and compassion would have built the defenses of peace.  U Thant

Unknown

It is lack of love for ourselves that inhibits our compassion toward others. If we make friends with ourselves, then there is no obstacle to opening our hearts and minds to others.   Unknown

The True happiness that Man has searched for since the dawn of humanity, that is the inner gold that awaits any person who holds compassionately the key of anonymous generosity. Do something for your fellow man, not for the gold, but for the love of Man, and you shall truly have the gold. Unknown

 

Make no judgements where you have no compassion.  Unknown

 
The path to guidance is one of love and compassion, not of force and coercion. Unknown

He who feels no compassion will become insane.  Hasidic Saying

Ursula K. Le Guin
It is above all by the imagination that we achieve perception and compassion and hope.  Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin
As great scientists have said and as all children know, it is above all by the imagination that we achieve perception, and compassion, and hope.  Ursula K. Le Guin

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William Blake
"Can I see another's woe,
And not be in sorrow too?
Can I see another's grief,
And not seek for kind relief?"
 William Blake, "On Another's Sorrow" 

 William Carlos Williams
I pick the hair from her eyes and watch her misery with compassion. William Carlos Williams

William Cowper
Man may dismiss compassion from his heart, but God never will”
William Cowper (English Poet One of the most widely read English poets of his day, 1731-1800)

Frank Capra
Compassion is a two way street.”
Frank Capra  (Italian born American Film Director, 1897-1991)

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