Compassion must start with yourself, otherwise it will always be incomplete and insincere. To really be compassionate, we must be able to sit with suffering, to hold it, and to watch it, without being overcome by it.
I remember the first time I practiced Metta. I was just repeating words without any meaning behind them. By the end of the week, something shifted. Metta is the pure-hearted wish for all beings to be happy, healthy, and free. It is unconditional love. Love without conditions. This is a guide from someone who teaches it every day.
