Practically speaking, how do we link our meditation with the everyday challenges that we face all the time? How do we build a bridge between the sitting practice of meditation and meditation in action, or the post-meditation practice of mindfulness in everyday life?

In order to communicate from one side of the bridge to the other side, a sympathetic attitude is required, an attitude of charity, in the original sense of that word. The word charity is derived from Latin and Sanskrit words for warmth and love. That is the real meaning of compassion: fundamental warmth. That, too, is the link between meditation practice and everyday life.

From “The Bridge of Compassion,” in Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness, pages 52 to 53.