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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit," said Aristotle some 300 years BCE. Karen Armstrong would add that a compassionate life is not a goal, or an achievement, but an ongoing spiritual practice. We need to make compassion a habit. And this practice, if it does not make perfect, at least will evolve us in a positive and much needed way.The renowned author of over twenty books on religions of the world has now produced a passionate call to compassion. We need to heed the wisdom of the ancient sages of a wide range of religious and secular thought and apply a compassionate life to the complex circumstances of our own modern circumstances.Ms. Armstrong's `Wish for a Better World" expressed in her acceptance speech for her 2008 TED prize was that the leaders of the world's religions draw up a Charter for Compassion that emphasized their shared core values of compassion and the Golden Rule. The resulting document, unveiled in 2009, is a jewel of concise wisdom compiled by a Council of Conscience from literally tens of thousands of submissions. Following the usual media dictum of `if it bleeds it leads', traditional media have largely ignored this event. It has none-the-less been affirmed online by over 79,000 people. A half a dozen cities, starting with Seattle, have proclaimed themselves Compassionate Cities. Well over sixty cities and regions, including the entire country of Canada, are listed on the International Institute for Compassionate Cities web site as being in the process of this declaration. [NAIN was an early partner of the Charter.]The book is both scholarly and practical. Inspiration is drawn from a wide range of secular and spiritual sources - from Confucius and the Ancient Greeks to the Buddha and the Abrahamic prophets.Societal development tends to follow a paradigm of progression - Individual survival [Four F brain - feed, flee, fight, procreate], Evolving into societies - cooperate for survival of the group, 4 F brain joined with new brain reason = Violence from struggle for power, Revulsion from violence = spiritual changeAs humans develop a higher brain, the remnants of the Four F brain remain and may be evoked during power struggles, resulting in chaos and violence. Eventually, throughout history, repulsion to this violence has forced spiritual sages on a quest toward spiritual change.Our current world situation reflects the third stage where violence is evoked by appeals to the Four F brain. We have made vast progress in scientific exterior realities, but we have not as yet evolved many contemporary sages. "Many people today would rather be right than compassionate."Ms. Armstrong suggests that we have a choice - emphasize aspects of religious and secular traditions that speak of hatred, exclusion, suspicion or work with those that stress interdependence and equality for all.She further upholds the value of mythos as used in all societies to teach universal realities. Mythos is not based on historic fact, but provides a kind of spiritual road map to to a higher consciousness. The hero mythos, eloquently described by Joseph Campbell, is exemplified by Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Gandhi in their quest for a larger truth and a more fully-realized self.The book outlines twelve steps towards the compassionate life which modern sages could use to heal the chaos of violence and power struggles. Compassion is definitely not painted as a fluffy, Pollyanna concept. Compassion is not pity, but the shared suffering of the other.The steps are not easy. They imply a lifetime of learning and discipline, not very popular tasks.Compassion for oneself is a necessary step. We live in a `me first' society that is, however, rife with self-doubt, guilt, eating disorders, and other neuroses. It is impossible to offer compassion to others if you have not first been compassionate to yourself.Compassion requires a critical look at how much we do not know. A society which expresses opinions ad nauseum on talk shows does not often reflect on what it really knows about the other. We do not easily want to lose arguments, even if we do not know what we are talking about. We give lip service to interfaith dialog, but rarely know how to engage in real dialog, in which we might learn something and change a preconceived conception.The twelve steps guide us on an ever widening circle of others to whom we practice offering compassion. It means resolving the intricacies of our closest relationships. How often it is hard to be compassionate to our families, our friends, and our co-workers! Then, the twelfth step seems hardest of all - love your enemies!Indeed, a compassionate life might seem an impossible task. But Karen Armstrong encourages us to see the steps as an ongoing process. We must continually stretch ourselves to be more and more compassionate, while applying self-compassion when we fail. The wisdom of the sages is not an impossible aspiration. And, she urges, even if we only achieve a fraction of that enlightenment, we will have lived a more worthy life and left the world a little bit better.I believe this book expresses a powerful, if not easy, prescription for the ills of our modern, violent world.
