COMPERSION: MEDITATIONS ON USING JEALOUSY AS A PATH TO UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Have you ever wondered what might take the place of jealousy when you have learned all that jealousy has to teach? One possibility is compersion. Compersion refers to the joy you can experience when two people you love are loving each other. This most blessed feeling combines delight, excitement, love, and peace. And just as jealousy may be accompanied by reactions of shame and embarrassment, compersion may be heightened by a sense of relief and freedom. Finally you have broken through to the other side! If you suspect that compersion is a mythological beast or an unfounded rumor, be assured that this blessing can descend upon you any time you open to the Truth of love without limitation. You can not force this feeling, as you can not force any feeling to come or go, but knowing that there is an alternative to feeling jealous helps you create a different experience. Knowing that jealousy has a polar opposite and giving this polarity a name reminds us that jealousy is not inevitable. There’s a whole other world out there!Imagining the opposite feeling is much easier than imagining no feeling at all. Would you rather feel the expansion that is compersion, or the contraction that is jealousy? Have you ever experienced the pleasure of sharing a favorite piece of music or a special, secret place you’ve discovered? Do you enjoy these things any less through having shared them? If you have never experienced compersion, imagine it now. Relax your body, close your eyes, and imagine your entire being filled with light. Feel yourself safe, satiated, and satisfied. Feel yourself overflowing with love and well being. Remember the innocent wonder you felt as a child gazing at the stars on a warm summer’s night. Imagine your warm heart expanding to include your beloved and all that is loved by your beloved. Trust, surrender, let go of trying to control. Feel the joy of knowing that you are love and you are free. Your happiness does not depend upon anyone else, and it grows bigger the more you love.