The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions,
calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels
us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves
from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity
of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice,
equity and respect.
It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically
from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest,
to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating
others – even our enemies – is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge
that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum
of human misery in the name of religion.
We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of
morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture
that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given
accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~
to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an
informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings, even those regarded as enemies.
We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our
polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion
can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep
interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity.
It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and
a peaceful global community.
