The Foundation of Compassion

Radhanath Swami

Life is like a rainbow, a multi-colored, multi-splendared thing in which the joy of sunshine and the tears of rainfall are reflected equally. When we see the whole picture of the sky with the rainbow, we can appreciate it. Similarly, the real joy of life is not simply when everything goes our way because things will, no matter what we do no matter what we gain things will not always go our way. The only constant thing in this entire creation is change. Everything is changing. Our bodies are changing, our loved ones’ bodies are changing, there's birth and there's death, there's victory and there's defeat, success, failure, happiness, distress, pleasure, pain, honor, dishonor, health, disease. We cannot change the nature of our environment but we can change our consciousness.