Can you imagine your heart being so absorbed in someone else’s pain that your body forgets its own?
On 4th January 2020, news broke of a devastating wildfire in Australia. The flames raged across millions of acres, claiming the lives of over 500 million animals and displacing thousands of people. The world watched in horror, and grief swept through homes and hearts alike.
That evening, Mahant Swami Maharaj joined the routine prayers as usual. Yet those who were present noticed—his body was in the room, but his mind was far away. It was with the animals, the forests, and the families suffering half a world away.
During the prayers, his foot was being treated with an ice pack for pain. Normally, even a touch of cold would make him flinch. But this time, he didn’t move. He didn’t even notice. His focus was somewhere higher—his empathy had become his meditation.
Later that night, while everyone rested, Swamishri sat quietly on a sofa, chanting his mala for thirty-nine minutes without pause. Every bead, every breath, was filled with prayer—for the world, for the wounded, for the voiceless.
What True Compassion Means
We often mistake compassion for sympathy. Sympathy says, “That’s sad.”
Compassion says, “Let me feel it, let me act.”
It’s a love so deep that your own discomfort fades before the pain of another. For Swamishri, compassion wasn’t a feeling—it was a way of life. When the world was hurting, his response wasn’t despair; it was devotion in action.
A Call to Our Hearts
The next time you hear of suffering—whether it’s a tragedy in the news or pain in your own neighborhood—pause. Don’t just scroll past. Stop. Pray. Send hope. Let your compassion become movement. Let it translate into kindness, charity, or even just a moment of silence from the heart.
When the world is hurting, let the God within your heart be the healer.
“Compassion isn’t weakness—it’s the strength that heals the unseen wounds of the world.”
Mahant Swami Maharaj: An Introductory Film on the Spiritual Leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s1OeBc3lHw&t=9s
BAPS Website: https://www.baps.org/
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