The Burdens Of Empathy In The Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama in his book explains how although compassion arises from empathy, they are not exactly the same thing. He characterizes empathy as, " a kind of emotional resonance feeling with the other person"(55). While he describes compassion to be" not just sharing the experience with others, but also wishing to see them relieved of their suffering"(55). In other words, empathy calls on us to have the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, but compassion asks us to want to see those who are suffering relieved of such pain. The Dalai Lama describes how taking on the burdens of the world through empathy and compassion may be somewhat strenuous, but the outcomes can also be every beneficial for both parties. Their may be some