Garrison and Law both outlined the steps towards being compassionate, which is an expansion on Rinpoche’s principle in the first half of the text: being empty yet compassionate. In order to put others first, we must follow these steps: “The first stage is to try to stop thinking of ourselves as being more important than others. The second stage is to try to mentally put ourselves in another’s place—to be willing to exchange ourselves with others. The third stage is to regard others as more important than ourselves,” (Rinpoche, 91). As Brad pointed out, we must be completely selfless to reach the perfect state of compassion, so we will not be afraid to help others. In the medical world, we must help others face their fears of pain and death.

Compassion

Rinpoche tells us we must learn to appreciate life, calm ourselves, and reduce our anxieties, saying “there’s just no need to be overly anxious,” (123). Perhaps our biggest fear is the fear of death. Rinpoche outlines how we can come to be at peace with this inevitable stage, how we can help others calm themselves and so doing, calm ourselves. First, we must realize “death and dying is part of the larger theme of impermanence,” (143). In this way, we stop our fear of death and see it for what it is. Secondly, we must be able to let go; in this way, we will fell calm, relaxed, and detached. According to Rinpoche, “dying at peace is dying skillfully,” (148)—it is the one way to die without pain.

A Dying Rose

We all have the capacity to be great helpers, caregivers, and compassionate souls. Rinpoche says we “all have the buddha nature within,” (99). Through embracing others and warding off selfishness and perfecting or “enlightened qualities” (Rinpoche, 103), we can become perfect beings, or at least as perfect as humanly possible.

We all have the “buddha nature within”