It has always been a Buddhist tenet that compassion should be cultivated so that it extends to all living beings, not just the members of your family, tribe, or nation; indeed, it should extend to all sentient beings, not just to people.
For many people this seemed to be an appealing but impractical ideal. But matters have changed. Television and other media now brings the suffering of other people, including those both near and far, into our living rooms every night.
In an increasingly globalized and connected world, our fates are linked together. But how do we cultivate this sense of social connectedness which allows us to see this broader perspective? Ekman: Let’s return to our discussion of compassion.
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