'A widening circle of compassion', Albert Einstein and the Charter of Compassion

"A human being is part of the whole,
called by us Universe,
a part limited in time and space.

He experiences himself,
his thoughts and feelings,

as something separated from the rest -

a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.

This delusion is a kind of prison for us,

restricting us to our personal desires and

affection for a few persons nearest to us.

Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison

by widening our circle of compassion -

to embrace all living creatures and
the whole of nature in its beauty.

Nobody is able to achieve this completely,

but the striving for such achievement is, in itself,

a part of the liberation and a
foundation for 
inner security."

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Charter for Compassion

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.

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NB I suggest that Karen Armstrong's initiative is 

a) To help us find ways to build bridges of out-reach - including in inter-faith work
b) To help us find ways to support the widening of the circle of compassion-centred people
c) To help publicize and promote having the Golden Rule centre-placed - in both personal & group relationships 

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