March 5, 2026
Evoke Enduring Compassion If it feels difficult to know where to look, the Buddhist value of compassion is always a productive and positive place to focus. If this core value of wishing for the end of suffering doesn’t arise easily through practice, there are different ways to think about it that may stir compassion even for those with whom we disagree.
Meditation teacher Nikki Mirghafori looks to emptiness, which, instead of leading to nihilism, sparks compassion when she considers that all things codependently arise. Tibetan Buddhist master Thinley Norbu Rinpoche points to continuous mind as a source for developing compassion. With a dualistic mind, love relies on temporary circumstances. But with continuity of mind, we can resist grasping at what will inevitably change, and find the stability of enduring compassion. Author, translator, and Buddhist teacher Ken McLeod explains that when we drop our identities and experience nonself, we connect directly with the experience of others, and compassion arises.
This week’s Three Teachings offers different ways of accessing compassion that can help keep us grounded and supported while feeling for others, too. |