Some time back in the early 1970's I was participating on a sweat lodge with a Navajo medicine man. At some point our conversation turned to the state of the world, the destruction of natural resources, the prevalence of suffering, injustices, etc. The advice he gave me inspired me at the time and set a standard for my path. He revealed that what he had been taught was to stay informed, participate and act on your truth, and ultimately learn to carry it all lightly. It's the last part, the "carry it all lightly", that has been the greatest challenge and greatest blessing. The Buddha, Tibetan Llamas, and Tantric masters all understood this. The Buddha called it "opening the heart of compassion". Compassion was known in these traditions to be a higher form of love and a higher vibration in the heart chakra. This form of love integrated acceptance, empathy, and wisdom. It was understood that years of practice and study with the assistance of evolved teachers are required to achieve and stabilize this heart of compassion. To experience this vibration briefly or occasionally is one thing; to stabilize there is yet another advanced level of development...