Empathy

I felt transported to about 9 months ago, when I was brooding over things. This time it was different. First it was short-lived. Second, I felt it in a different way, very very different. It is hard to put it into words. But I felt the suffering not of my own but of the other. I could feel the sadness dripping in the atmosphere of the other. Yes, it is possible that it is my own misinterpretation, but I do not think it is. Nevertheless, this has left me deeply touched. Somehow I find this to be an eye,... no heart opening experience.

There is so much suffering in the world. I've been too very focussed on mine alone that I've failed to look at others. No, I don't mean that I've been so self absorbed that I've not noticed any of the suffering around me. I actually "felt" it this time. It was as if the distinction between me and the rest of the world simply disappeared. Thus, I felt their pain as if it were mine own.

I don't know where I'm going with this, but I found it pretty interesting to note that feeling of empathy rather than sympathy.