Name: Compassion and the true meaning of empathy
Uploaded: 2011-09-02T15:52:04Z
Duration: 13 min 1 s
Description: Buddhist roshi Joan Halifax works with people at the last stage of life (in hospice and on death row). She shares what she's learned about compassion in the face of death and dying, and a deep insight into the nature of empathy.

Joan Halifax: Compassion and the true meaning of empathy

Compassion and the true meaning of empathy

Buddhist roshi Joan Halifax works with people at the last stage of life (in hospice and on death row). She shares what she's learned about compassion in the face of death and dying, and a deep insight into the nature of empathy.

Compassion is not just a gentle feeling but a powerful force that sustains humanity and all life. In a hospice in Bangalore, young women caregivers reveal the quiet strength of true compassion as they tend to the dying. Neuroscience shows compassion strengthens the immune system and builds resilience. Genuine compassion requires clear-eyed engagement with suffering, the courage to act, and the wisdom to release attachment to outcomes.