The twenty-fourth bead on the blessing cord is the blessing of compassion. It is the blessing of water in Chesed. Chesed is the sphere of Mercy. It’s vibration is one of care and concern, but it also sees the bigger picture better then some of the other spheres.
Compassion means “to suffer with”. This can spur many forms of response depending on our nature. It is hard to suffer along with someone. To feel empathy for what is going on with someone, knowing that you can do little to help. Part of life is suffering and most of us create more for ourselves by becoming too attached to our wants.
I have found in my own path through life that my best expressions of compassion for others come when I am not attached to a certain outcome. I have had students in the past where I would observe their struggles with life with what I thought was compassion and then give them advice and offers of assistance, only to see them manifest mental blocks and excuses to why all my advice would not work, being told I was egotistical to think I could help, flat-out refusal, and in some cases a loss of a friendship. I came to realize people both want and need to solve things for themselves and they are not always in the place to do so. I had become attached to the outcome of my friends’ success without letting them process the suffering and come to their own answers.
Now I hold compassion for where people are at in the present. I ask questions to get clarity about what it is they are experiencing, so I can hold compassion for them where they are. I ask them if they want advice and then release any attachment to them actually doing what I said. Compassionately I know that they must find their own way. It is a hard stance to have knowing that I want them to do well.
Our world always seems filled with suffering if we let it be. Prejudice, privilege, poverty, hunger, despair, our political climate, our world climate, fear, xenophobia, and much, much more. Watch the nightly news for a while and you will see the harsh suffering in the world. It can make us feel powerless. Don’t believe the hype. You can make a difference. You can be the change you wish to see in the world.
The meditation is inspired by the Buddhist practice called heart breathing. We breath in some of the suffering of the world and transform it into peace and love. This practice is a tough one and should not become a daily practice for anyone. It is emotionally draining and can effect your health after a while. This is why in this meditation you are lead to cleanse both before and after and are set in a place where you can be distant from the suffering of the world so you can have compassion without attachment.
Meditation of Compassion
Hold the twenty-forth bead of your blessing cord, the bead of Compassion, the bead of the blessing of water in Chesed.
Count your self down into a meditative state.
Allow the screen of your mind to expand to create a sphere around you. Feel a rising sensation as sky or electric blue light begins to fill the sphere. Resonate the god name of Chesed: El
A blue cloud seems to form around your feet. It is strangely solid and you can stand upon it. As the light begins to fade around you, see that you are high above the world on a blue cloud. From this place you can see the bigger picture of the world. Look up into the endless blue of the sky. Start to breath this blue light of the sky into yourself. As you breath out, release your tension and worry. Breath in this light and feel yourself filing with cleansing energy. It begins to transform your energy, making your vibration stronger. It builds until you are filled with light.
Now feel your heart begin to open like a swirling vortex of light. You notice it growing large as it fills with compassion. There is an endless flow of this compassion and peace. Focus on the world below you. Breath in some of the suffering of the world, filling your lungs fully. Hold the breath as it mixes with and transforms in your vortex of the heart. Release your breath, imagining yourself breathing our peace, harmony and compassion.
Breathe in again the suffering of the world for the count of seven. Hold and let this energy transform within you for the count of seven. Breath out peace, compassion, and harmony back into the world. Do this about five more times or until you think you have had enough. Breath in the suffering on your last breath, hold and transform, and breath the energy up to the gods in a prayer of peace and compassion for all.
Begin to breath in the light of the sky and release out anything that doesn’t serve. Keep doing this breathing practice until you feel clear and balanced again.
Allow the blue light to return obscuring your view of the sky, world, and cloud. As the light dims again feel a gentle decent. Your screen returns to its normal size.
Count yourself up into normal consciousness.
Ground, center, and balance yourself.
Contemplation
Is there a difference between compassion and pity? When you are hardest on yourself can you turn that into compassion for yourself where you are? Have you had compassion for the people in your life without attachment to their success or failure, just unconditionally giving them compassion?
