Altruism is an antidote to many mental toxins, including hatred, selfishness, exclusion, and all forms of discrimination.
Altruism changes our perspective on the world and helps us develop authentic relationships based on sharing, support, and attention, which are considered the cornerstone of a meaningful life.
Karuna-Shechen invites everyone to develop their altruistic potential and create a more compassionate, resilient, and peaceful world.
Karuna offers the opportunity to cultivate our inspiration, meditation and mindfulness tools, as well as concrete ways to get involved in change.
Altruism is about increasing the well-being of others and alleviating their suffering. It is a motivation, an intention, and a moral obligation.
Matthieu Ricard
Inspiration, Practice, Engagement : this is the triptych proposed by Karuna-Shechen to cultivate our altruistic potential. This triptych is a balance that holds only if all three pillars are nurtured.
Inspiration requires a careful look at what is often less visible, acknowledging both the beauty and the less beautiful aspects. By changing our perspective on the world, we can choose to focus our attention on compassionate behaviors, the beauty of landscapes, animals, and artistic creations. One manifestation l of inspiration is learning to cultivate positive emotions like joy and wonder, another is driven by a sense of indignation.
Developing emotional skills allows us to recognize, understand, and master our own emotions and to enter into compassion with others more easily. The regular practice of compassion gradually transforms our lives and leads us towards greater altruism. Without training the mind, we risk being overwhelmed by the world’s misery and difficulties, and, then falling into empathetic distress. Therefore, it is necessary to find a balance between taking care of oneself and taking care of others.
Everyone can engage with the world in some positive way whether it is in their immediate environment or on a global level, starting with small gestures that are sources of motivation and joy. Engagement can take various forms, such as minor adjustments to daily life, significant personal or professional choices, sudden or gradual changes, individual or collective initiatives.
Every day, you have an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and it’s up to you to decide what difference you want to make.
Jane Goodall
Resilience – Altruistic Alliance
Built on action, commitment, and altruism, Karuna-Shechen launches its new program Resilience – Altruistic Alliance.
Addressed to non-profit organizations, this program allows individuals to cultivate their altruistic potential in order to find balance between taking care of themselves and taking care of others. It strengthens the resilience of organizations and their members through daily actions.
Altruistic Gatherings
For the past 3 years, Karuna-Shechen has invited everyone to collectively find inspiration, engage in rich exchanges, and participate in workshops around themes that touch on our values and current affairs.
For the third edition of Altruistic Gatherings, which will take place on Saturday, May 25th and Sunday, May 26th, 2024 at the GoodPlanet Foundation, Karuna is preparing an event filled with joyful moments, exciting encounters, and inspiring exchanges with experienced leaders and facilitators such as Matthieu Ricard, Christophe André, and Claire Nouvian.