During this Dharma talk, Peter describes the intersection between empathy and compassion.  Empathy is hardwired into our bodies and can be misunderstood and produce regrettable self-states and behaviors when not monitored by mindfulness.  He describes how we are all subjected to marketing tactics based on studies of empathy to negatively affect ourselves and others.  Skillful investigation and Right Effort can effectively transform empathy to compassion, foremost for oneself, as well as others.

Here are the notes associated with this topic:  Empathy and Compassion

A meditation entitled “Guided Empathy Contemplation” preceded this talk, and it is posted in the Guided Meditation page.  It is intended to provide training to promote the ability to effectively monitor empathetic responses we experience.