His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

This week I was at the Melbourne Convention Centre to hear the Dalai Lama speak on Compassion The Foundation of Well Being.

Gratitude Revolution

For not the first time in my exploration of Buddhist philosophy I was presented with the phrase "This does not mean being a doormat".

I'm not really sure what this means.

Buddhism calls for compassion and gratitude above all else.  This seems a worthy goal.  

But sometimes in practice it can lead to a feeling of self deprecation.

Can we cultivate compassion for a person or situation in which we are being treated badly?  Is that even appropriate?