Charter of Compassion
by Same
The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all
religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat
all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to
work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to
dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there,
and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being,
treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and
respect.
It is also necessary in both public and private life
to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act
or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to
impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite
hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common
humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and
that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of
religion.
We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to
restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to
the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds
violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are
given accurate and respectful information about other traditions,
religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of
cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with
the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.
We urgently need to make compassion a clear,
luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a
principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break
down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of
our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships
and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and
indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global
community.
