Unveiling the Heart through Compassionate Grace
After five or six years as a student of the Diamond Approach®, I penned the poem “Compassion” from the immediacy of my transformative journey. Compassion was the key that unlocked the more profound work of self-exploration for me. As my heart opened, an ocean of tears surfaced, representing years of suppressed pain, self-judgment, and inner turmoil. As taught in the Diamond Approach, essential compassion brought the grace and support necessary to delve into these dark and painful places within my soul.
“Compassion is the manifestation of the love of Being, and it is this love that gives us the courage to look into the pain and suffering of our personal history and allow it to dissolve in the presence of our true nature.” — A. H. Almaas
The “ocean of tears that never dried” conveys the endless flow of emotions that I had kept bottled up. The journey of self-discovery, encouraged by the Diamond Approach, revealed the intertwined nature of truth and pain, making it impossible to hide from the realities of my inner world.
Podcast Discussion
“Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Through compassion, we can transform our pain into understanding and love.” — Jack Kornfield
Exploring these hidden parts of myself uncovered the destructive force of pride, which had seduced my soul and wounded my heart. The poem captures the intensity of this inner struggle, where the root of my life seemed to be pain, sending me “rocking again and again.” The imagery of tears “thick as rain” and the “hellish refrain” illustrate the depth of my emotional release as I confronted my wounded inner child.
However, amidst this tumultuous experience, the poem turns toward healing and grace. The “compassionate green” symbolizes the arrival of essential compassion. This compassion, depicted as the “hand of God, the mother’s arm,” gathered me in and protected me from further harm. This compassionate presence made me “amazingly clean,” signifying a profound inner cleansing and renewal.
“Compassion for oneself is the foundation of compassion for others, as we cannot truly offer what we do not possess within.” — Pema Chödrön
“Compassion” is a testament to the power of essential compassion in self-discovery and healing. It reflects how, through the Diamond Approach, I confronted dark parts of my soul and emerged with a heart that, although still shedding tears, had been touched by the grace of compassion and mercy – tears of joy.
COMPASSION
My heart was sad; it cried and cried
an ocean of tears that never dried
They never dried
Everyone said,
“Look inside; the healing lies deep inside”
So I looked and looked, and I pried and pried
and when the answers came, I couldn’t hide
Nowhere to run, I couldn’t hide
The truth and the pain lay side by side
and lit up the places I used to hide
Nowhere to run, I couldn’t hide
And those I had tried and all that I tried
exposed the cancer we call pride
It seduces the soul and wounds the heart
and in all of our anguish plays a part
And my heart was sad; it cried and cried
an ocean of tears that never dried
They never dried
The root of life seemed to be pain
that sent me rocking again and again
And the sum of my life wasn’t fit for the drain
In seeing it all tears fell like rain
Yes, tears thick as rain
When the wail of my soul, I could not restrain
it tore from my throat in a hellish refrain
that left behind all I knew to be sane
My inner being, a wounded child
was constantly flayed and driven wild
As an adult, I was always beguiled
and never admitted this hidden child
Innocent child, always reviled
And my heart was sad; it cried and cried
an ocean of tears that never dried
They never dried
Into the heart of this rabid place
moved the beauty of exquisite grace
In compassionate green, she was lovingly styled
and when she looked at me, Mercy smiled
And the hand of God, the mother’s arm
gathered me in from further harm
To sacred ground, removed from harm
as the mystery worked its wondrous charm
and quieted down my demented alarm
Until all I beheld was bathed in green
and I found myself amazingly clean
And my heart was glad; it cried and cried
an ocean of tears that never dried
They’ve never dried.
John Harper