On one of my visits to my old home, Port Elizabeth in South Africa my mother, son, and I visited Addo, a local elephant park, which was one of our favourite outings. 

 

We were watching a small group of female and young elephants as they were enjoying themselves at a water hole, drinking, bathing and splashing.  There was a very tiny elephant which found it could not scramble out of the slippery and muddy hole, and seemed in some distress.  The adult elephants ignored its struggles, but a slightly bigger baby elephant, perhaps a sibling, reached down and managed to get it out. The elephants finished their time there soon after and, as they left, we saw the baby elephant tenderly lay its trunk over the back of the one that helped,  in an unmistakeable gesture of thanks and love.   

 

From that moment I realised that animals really could show compassion and gratitude, just as we can!

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In this podcast:

 

• This story raises issues such as - the Golden Rule, ahimsa and the problem of taking sides & gratitude the glue of cooperation.
• The story of Rabbi Hillel who taught the 5 books whilst standing on one leg. Do we all want the same thing?
• Why do I end up buying Xmas presents that I like when I’m supposed to be buying for others?
• Ahimsa - the conundrum of the spider and the fly. Compassion at the personal and the group levels do not always coincide.
• The Bodhisattva and the murderous merchant. Sentiment may not always be the best guide to compassion.
• Becoming conscious means letting go of my opinions, because they can only ever be partial truths in a world of impermanence.
• The movement towards unity.