What Is Empathy?

There’s a lot of businesspeople here, they want to make money. I don’t blame you. Money is a nice thing to have, it can get you into a lot of trouble. So far you’re making it, it’s fine. So far you stop making it, you are in a lot of trouble. You become nobody. So far you keep making money you’re somebody, you stop making money, you’re a nobody.

And yet you realize that you’re not going to be able to take a cent of it with you. Money belongs to no one. What you say is yours…That house you live in has your name on the front. One day it’ll have somebody else’s name in the front. That’s the nature of things. Not good, not bad, not right, not wrong. That’s just the nature of things.

Yes, people need food. But people also need compassion. Yes, people need money but they still need compassion. And compassion is not pity.

What is empathy? What is empathy? Look it up. What is empathy? It is: to understand, to see the similarity between you and the others. It is not to take pity. And I’m not talking about taking pity. That’s not what this kindness is about. This kindness is about helping people. First of all, realize in themselves, their potential, their understanding. This is what the world needs.

- Prem Rawat