Groups > Spirituality and Consciousness

"Think global, act local" are words that come to mind here. Personally, I work with ex felons helping to get their lives back together; teaching life skills and non violent alternatives for living in the world. I left my last job to make half as much money for twice as much reward working for Primavera (www.primavera.org).

Do you suppose that you enjoy so much because you know you are working for a good cause! How satisfying...acts of compassion can be most healing. But when, when do we need to stand up for ourselves, in some circumstances for the sake of a larger ''compassion'?

We need to stand up for ourselves when it involves personal sacrifice or even personal suffering.

The Dalai Lama tells a story that goes something like this: A monk was walking along the banks of a river when he heard a man yelling "save me". The monk looked in the river and saw that the man was drowning. The monk immediately jumped in. Both men drowned. You see,the monk did not know how to swim.

Selfless acts of compassion that may even lead to personal suffering is the human condition in it's highest form.