The heart that is broken has been broken open.

- Susan Piver

Practically everyone has an opinion about the healthcare debate currently raging in Congress. Undeniably, it’s a heated issue. But despite all the discussion, it seems that one critical element is consistently overlooked: compassion.

Dr. David R. Shlim, who will be teaching our upcoming Medicine & Compassion retreat, has devoted his life’s work to making compassion a more prevalent focus of Western medicine. In the introduction to Medicine & Compassion: A Tibetan Lama’s Guidance for Caregivers, Dr. Shlim explains:

“It’s ironic that this lack of overt compassion in medicine comes at a time when medicine can do more for a patient than at any time in history. Despite…remarkable achievements, few people seem as happy as they should be with the way medicine is practiced…A piece of the puzzle is missing, and that missing piece may be compassion.”

As a society, we have the technology to perform open-heart surgery but we lack the guidance to open our hearts with strength and empathy. 

Compassion literally means “to suffer with,” implying that we actually extend our experience of ourselves to include the suffering of others. Faced with the immense suffering going on all over the planet, it’s a daunting concept. For most of us, the idea of opening to suffering conjures up fears of overwhelm and emotional exhaustion. But here’s another irony: Studies show that bringing compassion into our daily lives actually makes us more competent, focused, and present.

Millions of years of evolution have taught us to shut down to pain and suffering. Perhaps it’s a necessary defense mechanism but, at a certain point, this defense begins to harm us more than it protects us. And at a time when compassion is crucial, we need support to transcend these habitual responses. As New York Times bestselling author Susan Piver, who will lead our upcoming Wisdom of a Broken Heart retreat, reminds us, it’s a truly courageous step to embrace the dark power of heartbreak as a means to open the heart of compassion.

At Shambhala Mountain Center, this support is available to you. Whichever of our programs feels right for you, we invite you to take advantage of this support – because the world needs us to bring compassion back into the discussion now more than ever.