Page 44 - EH 73 May 2024

42 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE

Beyond this, the type of compassion we develop is the reactions of others around us to some degree,
also very important. Many people tend to just think including their stress and pain. But the more we shift
of compassion as one thing, but there can many our focus into the hope that they will be free from
forms of compassion. In the Shingon tradition, for suffering, the better it is for our own mental health.
example, we can use many forms of Avalokitesvara for And then, we can be in service to others on a more
compassion visualizations, trying to gradually cultivate sustainable long-term basis.
the compassion of Avalokitesvara in those many
forms within our own hearts. But also in the cognitive Can you share you latest projects in caring for the
sciences, they now acknowledge that there are different world?
forms of compassion and point out how some can be
healthier long-term than other kinds. For example, in I am working on getting out a few more books. For
one large study of trauma ward nurses, they showed example, I recently translated the manga of a woman
mainly three different types of compassion. One was Pure Land Buddhist priest in Japan who survived the
more reflective, in which we somewhat mirror the tsunami and later trained to become a chaplain. She
emotions of the person who we are with. Another type wrote and drew the whole book herself and I thought
is cognitive, when we mentally understand what the it was such a beautiful story, I wanted English readers
other person is going through. A third form is hopeful, to have access to it as well. I am hoping a publisher will
when we hope that another’s suffering is alleviated. accept it soon!
Sometimes, we might feel all three types of these
compassion, but other times, we might feel only one I am also working with a Japanese company called
or two of them. The scientists discovered that those KYOEN on founding a new initiative called, “Inward
who mostly mirror other people’s emotions were far Journeys Japan.” We will provide retreat experiences
more likely to suffer from conditions like secondary and more slow, in-depth practice-oriented tours of
stress and burnout. But those who mostly feel the third temples, along with retreat experiences geared to
kind of compassion, hoping that another’s condition is helping those in the caring professions and others
improved were often even joyful and inspired through interested in using the tools of Buddhism to develop
their compassion; they rarely experienced secondary better listening, compassion, and care-based skills. It
stress or burnout. I think it is an important lesson even will hopefully be ready by this summer, providing a
in our general day-to-day compassionate interactions: it variety of training programs and experiences in Kyoto
is beneficial to watch our minds. It is natural to mirror and elsewhere around Japan. EH