“How long until we really fulfill our promise of a comprehensive compassion?” 

Cosmologist Brian Swimme raised this question about humanity at the Pachamama Alliance Global Gathering last month.

In the video below, Brian offers the idea that by expanding our perception of time and space, we can tune in to the larger rhythms of the cosmos and begin to more deeply understand our place in it. As he puts it, “we have to become students of the universe...so we can participate in a mutually-enhancing way.” 

On this cosmic time scale, the work of cultivating a mutually-enhancing relationship with the world around us becomes much larger than any one person or lifetime. It may be hundreds or even millions of years before humanity finds its way. Our role is not to find the perfect solution, but to engage fully in the process by building upon the past in order to create opportunity for the future. 

What comes up for you when you contemplate a cosmic perspective? Do you feel hopelessness? Optimism? Awe? All of the above?

What does the term “comprehensive compassion” mean to you?