The Saint-Scientist Vallalar has a precise answer for what you came here for, which is how to develop self empathy. This search often begins from a place of real pain or a feeling of being stuck, and the answer you find here is not about focusing more intensely on yourself. Below, you will learn Vallalarβs practical, outward-facing method for building inner compassion β a method that begins with a simple, conscious choice you make every day. Much writing about self-empathy stays at the level of concept without a precise path. Vallalar provided a mechanism, a science of compassion that works on the body and soul.
The Life and Teachings of Vallalar
Ramalinga Swamigal, known as Vallalar, was a 19th-century Tamil mystic whose collected writings, the Thiru Arutpa, remain one of the most extraordinary spiritual records ever produced. His life was filled with remarkable feats β though he dismissed anything supernatural, insisting that everything he did was a science. He established a center for feeding the poor that has operated without interruption for over 150 years, running on unsolicited donations. On January 30, 1874, accounts from those present record that he locked himself in a room in Mettukuppam and was never seen again β his body never found. This event is documented by government records and by British Collector John Henry Garstin.
Compassion Is a Practice, Not a Feeling
In modern thought, we are often told to develop self-empathy by looking inward, by analyzing our feelings and offering ourselves kindness. Vallalarβs teaching presents a different path. For him, compassion was not primarily a feeling to be cultivated internally; it was a practice to be performed externally.
This practice is called Jeeva Karunyam, which translates to compassion for all living souls. It is defined as the active relief of suffering wherever one encounters it. It is not an abstract virtue to aspire to. It is a direct, physical action.
Vallalar taught that this practice begins with the most immediate and controllable act in our lives: what we place on our plate. To consciously choose food that does not involve the fear, pain, and death of another living being is the first step in Jeeva Karunyam. From this single, repeated action, a current of compassion begins to flow outward into every other interaction.
How to Develop Self Empathy by Looking Outward
The question remains: how does showing compassion to others build compassion for the self? Vallalarβs answer is precise. He did not teach compassion as a moral good that makes one a better person. He taught it as the literal mechanism by which divine grace-light enters the soul.
When you act to relieve the suffering of another being β whether by feeding a hungry person or choosing a plant-based meal β you are creating an opening. You are aligning yourself with the fundamental nature of grace, which is compassion. In that moment of alignment, a light, which he called Arut Perum JΕti, can enter. This grace-light is what heals, soothes, and builds true, stable self-worth.
It is not you generating empathy for yourself. It is you clearing the way for divine empathy to reach you.
A person feeling low and disconnected from their own worth might go out of their way to feed a stray dog. In the moment of watching the animal eat, the intention is purely on relieving the dogβs hunger. For a few seconds, their own inner turmoil is forgotten. A quiet feeling of rightness, a small warmth, appears. Vallalar taught that this warmth is the grace-light entering through the act of compassion.
A Daily Practice for Cultivating Compassion
To support the practice of Jeeva Karunyam, Vallalar gave a mantra. This is not for manifesting desires, but for tuning the mind and body to the reality of grace-light and compassion. It is a way to remind the soul of its true source and purpose.
The Mahamantra is:
AruαΉ Perum JΕti β AruαΉ Perum JΕti β
TaαΉi Perum KaruαΉai β AruαΉ Perum JΕti
The translation is:
The Vast Grace-Light. The Vast Grace-Light.
The Incomparable Great Compassion. The Vast Grace-Light.
Reciting this, even for a few minutes daily, helps orient the consciousness away from the small self and toward the universal principles of light and compassion. It becomes the soundtrack to the active practice of Jeeva Karunyam.
The Ultimate Result: A Body Transformed by Grace
Vallalar documented that the sustained practice of Jeeva Karunyam, powered by a compassionate diet and the Mahamantra, leads to a profound physical transformation. He described this process in three distinct stages, showing that compassion is not just a psychological tool but a force that can reshape reality itself.
The first stage is the Suddha Deham, or Pure Body. Through a diet free from animal suffering, as detailed in his text Nithya Karma Vidhi, and a life of active compassion, the physical body becomes resilient to disease, decay, and aging.
The second stage is the Pranava Deham, or Primal Body. As the flow of grace-light intensifies, the physical form becomes increasingly subtle and radiant. The body begins to operate on a different principle, sustained more by light than by gross food.
The final stage, which Vallalar alone is documented to have achieved, is the Gnana Deham, or Wisdom Body. Here, the physical body dissolves completely into pure, immortal grace-light. This state is similar in concept to the βrainbow bodyβ described in some advanced Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Witness accounts of Vallalarβs final disappearance are the historical record of this ultimate transformation.
Begin With Your Next Meal
You can put this teaching into practice today, in the simplest way possible. For your next meal, consciously choose an option that is entirely plant-based.
As you prepare or eat this food, hold a single intention: βMay this act prevent the suffering of a living being.β Do not look for an immediate feeling or a profound shift. Simply perform the act with this quiet intention. This is the first step of Jeeva Karunyam. It is the beginning of the science of compassion.
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