{"id":21278,"date":"2024-05-01T11:58:16","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T10:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/?p=21278"},"modified":"2026-05-11T15:37:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:37:11","slug":"the-psychosynthetic-face-of-compassion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/en\/the-psychosynthetic-face-of-compassion\/","title":{"rendered":"The Psychosynthetic Face of Compassion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reactive compassion can burden the people it tries to help. Assagioli on spiritual love as a synthesis of feeling, wisdom, and will.<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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By Roberto Assagioli<\/strong>
Compilation of three pieces: “Spiritual Love,” “Notes on Psycho-Spiritual Work,” and “Letter to Friends.” [i]<\/span><\/span><\/a>
Published in Filo Conduttore \u2013 Research Notebook of the Rome Centre<\/em>, No. 6, Year IV.
Source: psicoenergetica.com.
Original title: Il Volto Psicosintetico della Compassione<\/em>
Translated and edited with notes by Jan Kuniholm [ii]<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editorial Note<\/strong>
The abstract and contextual subtitle in this online edition have been added by the editor, Kenneth S\u00f8rensen, to support readability, navigation, and archival consistency. The original wording has not been altered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Abstract<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This essay compiles three Assagioli pieces, “Spiritual Love,” “Notes on Psycho-Spiritual Work,” and “Letter to Friends,” from Filo Conduttore<\/em>, the Rome Centre’s Research Notebook. Assagioli argues true compassion is more than feeling: it is “a synthesis of feeling, wisdom, and will.” He critiques reactive helping that addresses symptoms while quieting the helper’s conscience, and proposes a love that empowers, supporting each person in learning the lessons life offers, beginning with the inner steadiness needed to be of real use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In general, we regard things, elements, natural forces, living beings, and our fellow human beings, as they appear to us at a superficial view; that is, separate from each other and separate from us; alien and contrasting with each other and with us. But if instead we open our consciousness, widen the circle that separates us from others, we see that everything is a manifestation of one Principle, and then our being, our heart opens and expands in an outpouring of pure spiritual love \u2014 toward humanity in general, toward the great mass living and suffering in darkness, agitated by violent passions; our brotherhood. Our love manifests itself as compassion.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

True compassion is not a mere passing emotion, but translates into a desire, a need, a purpose to effectively help our brothers and sisters in humanity. But how difficult it is to actually help, spiritually speaking! Driven by emotion one wants to immediately alleviate suffering without realizing its root causes, its meaning, or its purposes. But true compassion, true spiritual love, considers all personal and temporary suffering, not in itself but in relation to the Supreme Unity, the meaning and purposes of the whole manifestation of the cosmic evolutionary process.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This reveals to us another aspect of spiritual love: wisdom. Spiritual love is not just feeling, a pure affective state; but a synthesis of feeling, wisdom, and will. We must therefore consider the evil and suffering of our brothers and sisters \u2014 as indeed our own \u2014 from a unified, universal point of view. Only then can we truly help them, not by fighting the effects (which is often in vain) but the causes. They teach us to consider our fellow human beings, not as separate bodies and personalities and ends in themselves, but as pilgrims along the path of manifestation. Then everything is transformed: then we feel more compassion for the wicked person than for the sufferer, for the murderer than for the victim; then we feel more pity for those who immerse themselves in matter and revel in the pleasures of the senses, than for those who purify and elevate themselves through suffering. Then we want the true good of souls, not the momentary and illusory relief of personalities.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n