The Need For Compassion and Knowing One's True Self

Something that has always truck a chord with me is the advocation of compassion and tolerance touted by Tibetan Buddhists, particularly by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. I was reading a statement made the other day by His Holiness which reminded me of some of my early studies that have lead me down my current path.
While the religious tradition in which I was raised does believe in love and compassion for all I rarely see it manifest in it's followers. If you are not on the same path that they are then rather than being tolerant and loving, they criticize you and strongly encourage you to take up their path as your own.

I knew several years ago that the path I had been taught to walk was not my own true path. This was an issue it took a long time for me to reconcile with, yet every time I doubted myself I would hear the words of my college roommate in my head, "is that what you believe or what you were taught to believe?" Almost ten years later that simple statement still has a profound effect on me. She was not trying to force me to believe anything specific, but rather to get me to think for myself and come to my own conclusions regarding the views I claimed I had.

Roughly three and a half years later I came across a book in the local Tibet-Nepal shop while browsing jewerly. The book was small but it spoke to me. It was The Power of Compassion: A collection of Lectures by His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. The little book was the first book I ever picked up about a religion different from the one I was raised in, yet the words it contained did not contradict what I had been taught. Rather they expanded upon the teachings and values I grew up with and gave me a view of the world that was more humbling and awe inspiriting than anything I had previously known. The lessons and values contained within its pages helped me to understand that compassion and tolerance of the world around us was key to making the most of life and living happily.

In the years since I first read this book I have strayed from the path of tolerance and compassion. My ex's work with the drugged-out, self serving homeless has me made less inclined to help those that would abuse the help they are given. In looking back I now see that I have been self servant myself during this time. I find that I am drawn to Paganism for my own selfish reasons and that is probably why I have difficulty fully incorporating it into my life. I'm not sure if I will ever fully embrace Paganism as my own, but just like the teachings of the Dalai Lama, I'm sure that I can incorporate it's teachings into my own path.

I have lost sight of myself in recent months. I need to work to regain who I am and make sure that I never lose sight of myself again.