My topic will focus on the component of compassion in Buddhist thought. I will provide evidence to support my thesis that practicing and experiencing compassion can work to improve the lives of those who are not interested in attaining Buddhahood through means of improving health, well-being, and self-motivation. Fernquest, Jon. "Buddhism in UK prisons". Bangkok Post, April 13. 2013: Print.This news story consists of fragments of a conversation by a British Buddhist, Luang Por Khemadhammo. Khemadhammo looked beyond the differences between himself and the prisoners and saw the similarities that exist. By showing compassion, he was able to relate to the prisoners, ultimately leading to his decision to teach Buddhism to the inmates. He tells some stories about how some of the most dangerous men in prison begin to show compassion towards others as a result of Buddhist teachings, just as Buddha, through his compassion, managed to transform an evil man without using force. I will use this interview with Khemadhammo to show how the Buddhist teaching of compassion can improve the lives of those who may have caused and are currently experiencing samsara. This also shows how powerful compassion can be as it has the ability to change people and open them up to more compassionate and kind behavior. Fink, Charles K. “Buddhism, Punishment, and Reconciliation.” Journal of Buddhism Ethics, 19. (2012): Print.One result of having compassion is an unlikelihood of committing crimes. This published essay outlines the problems with the justice system in how they treat criminals. It is divided into three topics: alternatives to punishment, understanding the nature of harm, reconciliation, and a section of Buddhist teachings. I… middle of paper… the lives of those who may lack compassion due to their circumstances or situation. The youth in this article are youth in foster care, which may lead them to experience multiple psychosocial difficulties due to high rates of maltreatment. The results show that a greater frequency of practicing compassion was associated with greater hope and a decrease in generalized anxiety. Their findings also indicate that participants found cognition-based compassion training helpful in coping with the stressors of daily life. The evidence presented in this article will help strengthen my argument as it provides optimistic results about applying this type of compassion training to help people improve their quality of life. It specifically demonstrates that practicing compassion can act as a means to make us feel better and, in turn, encourage us to pursue a better life.