Sowing the Seeds of Compassion

As I was driving to the temple Friday, the radio was announcing the arrival of the Dalai Lama, exiled spiritual and political leader of Tibet. He was here in Seattle for a "Seeds of Compassion" conference. The goal was to discover and share ways to teach children how to be more compassionate as a way of changing the increasing violence throughout the world. They had many people from the medical, scientific and religious fields giving us the results of their many studies. Now, I'm so grateful to all spiritual, political , social, scientific and religious leaders that are honestly trying to encourage less violence in today's world. But.........

I am always saddened when there is no mention of the one source of all truth, pure love, total compassion and worldwide peace or of His teachings!

They did conclude at this conference that children learn compassion from seeing others and imitating their behaviors.

I was blessed to see so many compassionate actions and works just the last two weeks:

Tommy consoling Blake after Blake tried to take his game away and we told Blake he needed to wait until Tommy was finished, then he would have his turn. Blake broke into tears. Tommy gave him big hug and then let him play with him. Blake, or course, not knowing how to play messed everything up and Tommy resigned to just let Blake play the game himself.

Mary bringing not just one meal over to Maria (who is experiencing a lot of nausea from her pregnancy - which increases when she cooks or even moves), but also bringing over many frozen meals that Maria could store and use whenever. How compassionate!! And I know she is fighting back pain each day!

Little Jenna going to church with Grandma and Grandpa and impressing her teachers when a little girl from her Sunbeam class broke into tears because she wanted her mom. I was told that Jenna immediately got off her chair and walked over to little Ellie and gave her a big hug and sat down beside her. To everyone's surprise, Ellie stopped crying and she and Jenna became friends.

There is no greater place of peace and compassion than the temple. Here is Kristina with her husband, LeGrand Fry. I was most impressed with LeGrand watching how he treated his father, who suffers brain damage related to a bad car accident when the other driver suffering seizures, lost control and crashed his car into the car of LeGrand's father. LeGrand, both on his wedding day and the week before at the temple with his family, was very attentive to his dad. He frequently found his dad, talked to him, patted his shoulder, worried about whether he was getting tired, and generally looked out for him. I was really touched! Great guy, Kristina!!

My mom, never leaving my father's side, and lovingly worrying about if he was too tired, needing to use the restrooms, was hungry, needed a tissue and always noticed when he was trying to say or ask for something.

The Dalai Lama was right, children do learn and are influenced in a positive or negative way by what they see and experience -- from parents, leaders, teachers and from other children.

"...By small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." Alma 37:6