1998-11-29. Compassion
Nashville #69
Topic: Compassion
Group: Nashville TeaM
Teacher: Ham
TR: Rebecca
Opening
Ham: Greetings, children, I am Ham and once more I want to thank you for coming here tonight that we may discuss spiritual matters. Tonight, our lesson is concerning compassion.
Lesson
Compassion
Compassion can be thought of as the major catalyst and component of the universal cohesiveness understood as the brotherhood of mankind. Often times, human beings compartmentalize their compassion, feeling that they only have so much and can only experience this feeling or give this understanding to a few. Some prioritize their compassion, feeling that some humans are more deserving of this bond of brotherhood than others. And it is true, your natural compassion goes out to those who are most like you who are experiencing tribulation. This, however, becomes perverted in the ethnocentric human reaction of compassion for “us” and hatred toward “them” which is the lynch pin for all warlike aggression that human beings engage in.
When human beings break through that barrier and find compassion for the other within themselves, the structure of edifice on which oppression, racial hatreds, and so forth rest, crumbles. Indeed, once hearts are moved to compassion, the rationale and the justification for war and oppression falters and fails.
Compassion is found in identification with the other where in a flash one can put oneself in the other man’s shoes, when one can see oneself reflected in the face of another, and identify with that one’s humanity. Compassion easily bridges cultural and racial differences so that once the initial impulse of compassion is made, there is an easy identification with that which was so foreign before.
Compassion is the door through which love can flow. Compassion is that initial identification, that initial impulse to love, that opens the door to all love and all understanding. Once there is compassion for another, there soon develops understanding, and once there is understanding, it soon ripens into love.
Those who wish to harbor hatred vigilantly keep the door of compassion closed in their hearts. When one is forced to keep the door of compassion closed, there occurs, for want of a better analogy or word, a withering of the soul and often times a form of internal schizophrenia that is very injurious to spiritual growth. One can say it arrests spiritual growth because that side, that impulse to compassion, must find an outlet.
When one stifles the natural impulse to compassion towards some people and not others, there is set up an internal conflict. This conflict cannot be healed until that door to compassion is opened. One cannot be an integrated and complete human being without feeling compassion for all other human beings. Cruelty then, is a form of internal suicide.
For anyone who is kind to one person or set of people while at the same time being cruel or harboring cruel thoughts toward another person or set of people, this person can never find a wholeness, an integration, and a balance in spiritual living and the inner conflict can certainly stifle, also, growth and lead to more and more advanced forms of insanity. This is why, for example, soldiers in warfare experience such intense psychological trauma and why the healing of it is so difficult but the healing can only come through finding and opening the door of compassion to the enemy.
Compassion and love for one’s fellows is the natural state of mankind. It normally takes much violence and perverted thinking to change this natural state. So then, as an exercise in the following week, practice compassion for those you have been harboring prejudice against or hatred of any kind. Make a conscious effort not to fall back into the old patterns of thinking whether it be nationalism or racism, whatever it is that has prevented you from finding compassion for your brethren. Find a way to genuinely open that door and to genuinely feel compassion for that person or group of people through a person representing that group and as you do this, reflect on the fact that this is natural and normal. Are there any questions at this time?
Dialogue
Q: Have you any hints on how we might practice compassion for ourselves?
Ham: Yes. This exercise actually will help you because love is such a dynamic and forceful thing. When you open a door to compassion to another, you are opening a door to compassion to yourself. It is often something within ourselves that we dislike that helps us close the door of compassion to another who reflects that same quality. It is said that when one truly and completely experiences the Father’s love and therefore loves oneself truly and completely, then there is not another living being that one does not also love.
Healing
Q: When that impulse to have compassion is damaged or ripped away in some way by war or violence, especially with children, how is that impulse healed, helped?
Ham: Yes. This healing is a gradual continuous process. Often times children who are denied compassion by adults and who are treated with cruelty cannot easily feel compassion toward other people or other beings and that feeling of love and loving return with another human being is not strongly established so that often times these children grow up to be what you would term sociopaths. This repairing of such a deep and complete inner wound can be a lifelong process if that person makes the conscious effort to heal and to acknowledge their wounds.
Often just admitting that they need love and that they’re wounded from not receiving love is almost impossible. But, of course, this must be the first step for God is always waiting for that opening to receive his love, that moment of vulnerability, that asking for love. As soon as that occurs, the Father’s love will flood in and that person then can begin to feel compassion toward other beings. But first, must come the recognition of the need. Is this helping?
Q: On the subject of sociopaths, are there some people who are more genetically predisposed to turning out that way?
Ham: Yes, one could say that is true. But, often the family patterns are what reinforce this tendency down through the generations. But yes, there is also a certain genetic predisposition, yes. But, that being said, no child of God is born permanently shackled in chains of ignorance and predestined to exhibit sociopathic tendencies. Free will in all things is paramount. There is always a choice between love and hate, there is always a choice for goodness, mercy, honesty and truth. There is always a choice for compassion. It is indeed unfortunate that some of your brethren with more limited intellectual resources are so often preyed upon by the purveyors of hatred, slothfulness, cruelty, and the other more barbaric tendencies of man. Is this helping?
Personal Counsel
Q: May I request a personal message for this week, please?
Ham: Certainly, daughter, you have a tendency to want to feel in control and not only over your own life but others as well. There comes a point when you must acknowledge that there are things that you cannot control, there are things that others will experience that you cannot influence. There are things in your own life that you cannot control and this is part of a process of learning to let go and to trust the Father. When you learn to completely trust in him, all these other worries and problems and concerns will evaporate.
I know you feel you are on a high wire trying to keep your balance while juggling all these other things and you are praying that the safety net is there, but you haven’t actually tested it by letting go and just falling. This is what faith is, it is the ultimate trust, it’s the ultimate knowing that the Father is with you and holding you up through all the problems that come about. So, let go of control and embrace faith. Let the Father guide you and all will be well.
Q: What about people who are cruel at one moment and then later feel compassion or remorse. Can you so a little more about that particular pattern.
Ham: Yes, Often times that person is lashing out at another so as not to face their internal feelings of low self-worth. It is a form of transference, they are transferring their inner self-loathing onto another, usually repeating a pattern of abuse as a child which was internalized as inner self-loathing but which is so intense that they could not function if that was always in their consciousness. So it comes out in a form of transference. Then when the episode is over, there is remorse for having done that to someone who is innocent in this whole cycle. In that case, that person needs to see what they are doing, that that inner self-loathing came in childhood usually from parental cruelty and all that has to be looked at, owned as a reality, before there can be healing. Sometimes these people will not consciously admit that there was cruelty in their childhood home.
Q: It would seem that anything that would tend to trigger these feelings about themselves would tend to trigger this kind of behavior.
Ham: Yes.
Q: Do you have a message for me this week?
Ham: Certainly, son, you are working through some inner issues that have plagued you in your life that stem from childhood. Keep doing this, keep working on these things. This will help you come to new revelations about yourself and how you interact in the world that you are now needing to understand. Remember that embracing reality, no matter how difficult and painful, is always good in the long run. You are very brave about seeing reality clearly. You are quick to admit the truth and discard the helpful lie and this is all very good and for the best. So, I would say just keep working through these things. Continue as you have done and all is well.
Q: Could you share some insight that would help me at this point?
Ham: Daughter, you have a strong heart and you are unafraid to follow your heart’s leading. This is very good. You have a strength of conviction that is very solid and complete. You don’t go frivolously here and there looking for spiritual solace, you want to be grounded and a complete in your spiritual seeking. At the same time, there is a wonderment, a child-like awe that gives you an inner innocence or a purity of experience that you cling to. You don’t give that over to everything that comes along, its the most profound part of yourself and when that is connected with the spiritual is when you have that complete knowingness and overwhelming faith.
Be assured that all this sure-footed seeking is bringing you that inner peace and fulfillment that you seek. You are coming into an even greater spiritual awakening that you perceive as an inner white light. This inner light is your compass, your beacon, and it is growing and expanding. You are right to have followed your inner leading and your inner convictions. Yes, you have been led to your work and this work is part of the Father’s will for your life. This is very fortunate, not many people have the courage to respond to that leading and take those kind of chances. Be at ease and embrace you inner peace for you are following the Father’s will and thus all is well.
Q: I would appreciate any feedback you have for me this week too please.
Ham: Certainly, son, you continue to do very well and you are expanding your inner life, your inner being, in ways that you have not done before. I encourage you to share this inner self-discovery with others to help you actualize it. Be unafraid to reveal you inner thoughts and to explore them creatively.
Ham: I am aware of a question from Susan K. about the human tendency to judge other people spiritually on the basis of health.
The human mind almost automatically categorizes and thus it is unfortunate that some humans mistake this and succumb to a form of judgment. The admonition stands, “judge not lest you be judged” and I agree it is an unfortunate tendency.
Q: There is another question here from Steve M. From your vantage point, do you think we mortals take ourselves too seriously in this life. Perhaps you make some statement regarding the relative importance of this life as opposed to the lives we will live on the seven mansion worlds?
Ham: Yes, I have often said that all your achievements in this life, no matter how great, no matter to what heights you may rise in your society, it is still like children playing in a sandbox in kindergarten. The child who makes the biggest pile of sand, however proud of himself he might be, it is still only a pile of sand. All your grave responsibilities are like keeping your toys from being broken. We find it quite amusing how utterly seriously you children tend to take yourselves. Like an adult smiling over a child’s tears, we feel compassion and yet we see the larger picture and have a detachment that allows us to smile.
Q: Anything for Esmirelda?
Ham: Daughter, practice the stillness every day and in it find a balance and a certain detachment from the every day problems that best you. Find humor in these situations if you can and lighten your load thereby. Allow yourself to laugh at yourself and your own seriousness and fears.
Q: Elena?
Ham: Daughter, allow yourself to open up to new experiences, new understandings, as you have done. Continue to trust your own inner leadings and feelings. Fear not for all is well. That is all.
Q: Kellan?
Ham: Son, you do well. You are growing faithfully in the spirit having made a solemn commitment to your indwelling spirit and sorting through some old inner issues are helping you to find a balance and a beginning of inner peace that you have sought. Continue, therefore, to work as you have and be assured that you are making progress.
Q: Frankie?
Ham: Son, you are truly growing in the spirit and are awakening to a greater inner reality all the time. You have many inner resources and inner parts of yourself that are seeking self expression. Be open to your creativity.
Q: Tex got tromped by a horse and I wonder if you have anything to say to him?
Ham: Yes, son, you must take some time for rest and reflection. You have a tendency to avoid inner reflection and yet during this period of convalescence you will have the leisure to reflect upon you life and contemplate your eternal destiny. Think about what it means to have eternal life, what it means to be indwelt by the Universal Father, what it means to be a mortal being on this planet. Allow yourself the leisure to think about the greater things and let the details take care of themselves.
Q: Rebecca?
Ham: Daughter, I am glad to see you getting your balance and once again focusing on your task. Know that there is much to do in preparation and be open to doing this work.
Q: Jarad?
Ham: Yes son, you also have much preparation to do. You are making good strides spiritually and your inner balance and preparation is very good. But you are still lagging in the outer preparation and need to work on these things.
Q: Ham, would you have anything for Craig D?
Ham: Yes, son, to seek after the spirit one must devote oneself whole heartedly. Seeking after the spirit involves every single decision and is not divorced from life in its entirety.
Q: I would appreciate anything you have for me tonight.
Ham: Yes, son, you are continuing to seek the Father and to bring him into your life. Be open to change as this process involves profound change. Therefore be willing to put down the old and embrace the new aspects of your being. That is all.
Q: Would you have anything to say to my dad concerning my mother if that is possible.
Ham: Yes, be not concerned concerning her safety or status and standing. You will surely greet each other on the shores of a new and greater world and this rejoicing will wipe away all memory of this sad separation. Be at peace, son, for she is just fine.
Closing
Are there any further questions at this time? If there are no further questions, until next week I will retire. My prayers and my love go with you each, farewell.
