In a groundbreaking 2020 study, researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience trained a rat to press a lever for the sugar pellet it coveted. The experiment took a remarkable turn: pressing the lever now also delivered a sharp electrical jolt to another, biologically unrelated, rat. Witnessing the other rat’s immediate distress, the first rat paused, then stopped pressing the lever entirely, choosing to forgo its coveted reward to alleviate the stranger’s suffering.
This wasn’t the rat’s trained behaviour; it was instinctive, profound empathy. Human infants mirror this innate compassion: they cry in response to others’ distress, six-month-olds prefer kindness and one-year-olds instinctively comfort those in pain. This shared empathy across species weaves a sacred thread through the universal experiences of suffering and care, binding all sentient beings.
The Biology of Empathy
Our brains are wired for empathy. When we act or observe others, mirror neurons fire in tandem with the insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), creating a visceral neural echo of their joy or pain. This process allows us to ‘feel into’ others’ experiences. Though innate, empathy requires nurturing to flourish.
Teaching children to value all life and care for the vulnerable—human or animal—nurtures this innate empathy. Research also shows that adults can deepen their empathy through loving-kindness meditation and non-violent actions. As American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson envisions, a world where empathy is taught alongside reading, writing and arithmetic would be profoundly different. It will be a world where there are fewer tears than hands to wipe them. Nurturing this innate empathy, rooted in biology, is essential, as it both fuels and measures our spiritual growth.
True Measure of Spiritual Growth
Universities judge us by performance, not by the hours we invest in preparation for the examinations. Similarly, any divine Overseer would care less about which religion we follow, the pilgrimages we undertake, or the hours we spend worshipping, and more about how empathetic, compassionate, kind and loving we become as a result.
Albert Einstein, who perceived our self-centeredness and sense of separation from the rest of living beings as an optical delusion, urged us to “widen our circle of compassion”. Genuine empathy extends beyond humans to all sentient beings, including animals—our fellow earthlings. Being apathetic to others’ pain dims the divine spark within us. Ethical philosophers have long warned that deriving benefit from others’ suffering can dull our capacity to care. Pythagoras cautioned: “As long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.” The numbness we cultivate by justifying cruelty in one realm blunts our sensitivity to see it in others. Tolstoy’s insight chillingly echoes this: “As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields.”
To evolve spiritually, we must continually examine and shed outdated beliefs. Just because something is widespread or has existed for centuries doesn’t make it right. People once believed the Sun revolved around the Earth, and accepted practices like Sati and slavery, only a few hundred years ago.
Instead of testing morality by the popularity of beliefs, empathy provides a simple moral test: Would we accept the consequences of our actions if roles were reversed, whether with humans or animals? This approach to life can foster individual spiritual growth and transform our society.
Transforming Society
Empathy transforms how we interact, particularly with those who hold no power over us. It swaps judgment for curiosity, shifting “you’re wrong” to “help me understand,” and understands diverse perspectives without demanding agreement. When faced with requests, empathy inspires compassionate listening without feeling superior, and when met with rudeness, it seeks pain beneath harsh words.
A gunman, estranged and barred from seeing his daughter, held restaurant patrons hostage, including his daughter, hostage. A policeman, trained in empathy, set aside his weapon, approached as a fellow father, and acknowledged the gunman’s pain. He warned that violence would lead to arrest, further separating him from his daughter, and offered to mediate with the wife. The gunman moved, lowering his weapon, averting tragedy.
Daily empathy—choosing connection over ego—fosters deeper, more meaningful relationships. Whether forgiving a slight, consoling a distressed stranger, or caring for an animal, each act is a prayer in motion. By practising empathy, we build a world where differences unite, understanding prevails and compassion thrives.
A Prayer for Empathy
Empathy is the highest form of devotion, connecting us to the divinity within every being. Imagine a world where we listen before judging, act with kindness and choose compassion above all—a world where one is for all and all for one. Mutual empathy alone can create such a caring world.
Let this be our daily prayer: May I remember today that to meet the divine, I must begin by seeing and loving Him in His creation today.
Unconditional and universal empathy is not just a virtue; it is the natural gift of love within all of us that heals hearts. Let's practice it daily, making love the foundation of our world.