Is empathy egoic?

[cena655]

I'm suffering from overly sensitivity. There are some people out there, whos energies are such low that I just feel down and worthless all the time. I can't really live like that anymore...it hurts deeply. I can somehow feel their sadness and depression which depresses me a lot!

Is this empathy coming from ego? Can it be overcome through enlightenment?

 

[Forestluv]

31 minutes ago, cena655 said:

I'm suffering from overly sensitivity. There are some people out there, whos energies are such low that I just feel down and worthless all the time. I can't really live like that anymore...it hurts deeply. I can somehow feel their sadness and depression which depresses me a lot!

Is this empathy coming from ego? Can it be overcome through enlightenment?

I've gone through this myself and it can create really unhealthy inter-personal dynamics and cause distress to the mind-body. 

I think whether enlightenment can overcome it is a very tricky and nuanced question. Personally, I would focus on personal boundaries. Empaths are known for having poor boundaries and it was the number 1 issue for me - by far. Looking back to when I was immersed in the negative aspects of empathy - the best thing I did was to learn about how to establish healthy personal boundaries. 

[DrewNows]

yes here’s your guide to understanding your boundaries ?

 

[Forestluv]

@DrewNows This is a great video on understanding healthy personal boundaries for those with sensitive/empathic tendencies. Thanks for sharing it. 

[cena655]

Thanks for your replies. I'll watch the video.

@Serotoninluv I mean if there is no "I", then there can't be any suffering. That's why I thought enlightenment would help. 

[Forestluv]

20 minutes ago, cena655 said:

Thanks for your replies. I'll watch the video.

@Serotoninluv I mean if there is no "I", then there can't be any suffering. That's why I thought enlightenment would help. 

Ok, if there is no identification, that would change your post to something like below. . .

"The mind-body referred to as "me" is experiencing extreme discomfort from overly sensitivity. There are some people out there, whos energies are so low that "my" mind-body just feels down and worthless all the time. "My" mind-body can't really live like that anymore...it hurts deeply. "My" mind-body can somehow feel their sadness and depression which causes a lot of depression sensations in "my" mind-body."

That's certainly better than identifying with the discomfort and suffering. Yet, even if we remove the identification to the mind-body, the mind-body is still experiencing all that crap. Why live with that? Why not deconstruct it, heal and set up healthy boundaries at the personal level so that the mind-body is not experiencing pain and discomfort? "My" mind-body kinda likes the experiences of love, joy, wholeness, laughter, wonder, awe, connection etc. Enlightenment exists whether the mind-body is being loved or trashed. Why not take care of the mind-body with love? Why drink sewer water if we can drink fresh mountain spring water?

[Nahm]

2 hours ago, cena655 said:

I'm suffering from overly sensitivity.

Sensitivity is breadcrumbs which lead to miracles.  The suffering is not from sensitivity, it’s from resistance. It is resistance. Don’t badmouth the sensitivity. 

There are some people out there, whos energies are such low that I just feel down and worthless all the time.

What if you suddenly got amnesia and were completely wiped clean. Instantly no longer know a single thing. Zero memory. Not even knowing there is anything you could even be knowing. Not even the understanding of words, let alone words about how, why, what, when, where, who, who’s.    And you felt just wonderful. Care free, full of love, joy in every cell, just experiencing.     Then, what would it be like when you come accross a person as you described? Would you still feel worse, or would they feel better? 

I can't really live like that anymore...it hurts deeply. I can somehow feel their sadness and depression which depresses me a lot!

I hear that. It’s terrible. Write it down, get it out. Put other people on hold for a while. With more experience, comes more understanding. You have to put your hand on the stove to know it’s hot.

When there is less internal resistance, you see where someone is coming from more than where they’re at. But ya can’t do that if you’re focused on how they’re bringing you down. It’s simply too self centered to help on the path. 

Is this empathy coming from ego?

Love is infinite. There’s no separations. One of ego’s last grand stands is - “my” love.  Prior to that is often “my” empathy. Love’s calling and you’re mostly going, but you have some resistance.  Very understandable.

Can it be overcome through enlightenment?

The ‘suffering’ can not be ‘over come’, because it’s being made up. You’re such a profound creator that you have created a person out of yourself and forgot that you did.  Then as ‘person’, you did it again. You created another person out of yourself, a “third” you, if you will, created with thoughts & beliefs.  Look to understand, shed awareness on, how you’re creating the second and third selves. 

 

 

 

[cena655]

Wow such profound answers!

Thank you @Nahm