Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive. – Dalai Lama

Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another. – Alfred Adler

Feel the sentiments of others being like one’s own self. This is what Atmabhava means. It is a Sanskrit word that means the existence or being of one’s self. It is composed of the words atman and bhava. It also means all-encompassing affection, which is sympathy and feeling oneness with others, identifying with their woes. It is a pure form of worship of the Supreme Divine Being, the consciousness or God.

Let us examine the two words, Atman and Bhava. Atman is a Sanskrit word that refers to ‘essence, breath’. Bhava is also a Sanskrit word which means being, worldly existence, becoming, birth, be production, origin, but also habitual or emotional tendencies.

Swami Satyananda said, think of others as you think of yourself, and this is the kernel of Atmabhava. One must include everybody within one’s heart. The Vedas, Upanishads, Rishis, Munis, have told us that experiencing Atmabhava, sympathy, and feeling oneness with others, identifying with their woes is Sarvatma bhava, all-encompassing affections for the creatures of the whole world. God is here and now among human beings. Look for him not in temples but among the poor and destitute, in homes, where no fire has been cooked.

Seeing everyone in oneself and oneself in everyone is the highest attainment of Vedanta – Atmani Pashyanti Bhutani – which means seeing the self in all and all in the self as one Brahman.

How does one practice this sadhana? One learns to identify one with the pains of others and not offer lip service, like giving advice. Empathize and be genuine. Be connected with others, love, serve and give.

Aim Hrim Klim

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