long ago, and I don't recall the proper terms, about a Tibetan Buddhist practice, of opening your heart and absorbing all the pain of others, to take it on, to absorb it, in your heart. The pain then transforms.
That this is the real meaning of the "jewel in the lotus". It must take great courage to attempt this. We are so afraid to even look at suffering.

Not sure if that was supposed to happen. I've never heard of what you're saying, since it wasn't always a conscious act, but sometimes it was. Sometimes that is what needs to be done.

many trees, but in fact it's a single root system, ie one
organism, below ground.

I've thought about this a lot.
When my own heart is breaking and tears are flowing --
from an event that hasn't actually affected me directly,
personally -- I've hoped it helps the ones who are
bearing the worst of it. And that's why we are naturally
attracted to feel in this way, we are wired to be
part of this.

Maybe it can relieve a measure of their sorrow, if we
let ourselves feel it. With them, for them. Just feel.

Let that vast sorrow travel through our root system,
into my heart and yours. And let the breath and the
tears cleanse, bring back equilibrium to the whole.

but I feel what you're saying.