1. Have you ever considered how others see you? Have you ever asked?
2. When have you felt like more than your mind and more than your body?
3. How did you feel hearing the story of the bear devouring the elk calf? Do you accept that you have both nurturing and fierce qualities?
4. Have you ever had the experience of “giving someone their piece of the puzzle?” What was the experience like?
5. When have you felt interconnected with all of nature as Oren’s grandfather implied he was?
6. What could help you “open the door of compassion and leave it open?”
Possible Practices
1. Draw a self-portrait. Consider all the different aspects of "you" mentioned in the film and incorporate symbols or images of them.
2. Write a prayer or create a simple practice to acknowledge your connection to the larger circle of life.
3. Write an "I Am" prayer in the style of Thich Nhat Hanh's "Please Call Me by My True Names." Here is the poem along with Thich Nhat Hanh's statement about when he wrote it. And here is our own "I Am" prayer written on 9/11, "Rest in Peace."
Visit the You homepage for more ways to practice this spiritual quality. Follow the links in the left column to:
- a collection of quotations on compassion
- book recommendations
- book excerpts and teaching stories
- film recommendations
- music and art meditations
- a daily cue, reminder, vow, and blessing for compassion
- a prayer or mantra
- personal explorations including imagery and journal exercises
- practices and spiritual exercises
- questions for discussion, storytelling, sharing
- take action with household, group, and community projects
- and more
Prepared by Persephone Zill with contributions from Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
