“Understanding is the substance out of which we fabricate compassion. What kind of understanding am I talking about? It’s the understanding that the other person suffers, too. When we suffer, we tend to believe that we’re the victims of other people, that we’re the only ones who suffer. That isn’t true – the other person also suffers. They have their difficulties, their fears, and their worries, too. If we could only see the pain within them, we would begin to understand them. Once understanding is present, compassion becomes possible.”
From Peace Is This Moment by Thich Nhat Hanh
Chorlton Unitarians 