Kindness and Love …

‘We have the propensity for showing kindness and love from birth. It is part of our nature. However, this has been turned off by our upbringing or different circumstances and we have become habituated to not using it.’ ~ The 17th Karmapa

We are all the same

Although we are all the same in not wanting problems and wanting a peaceful life, we tend to create a lot of problems for ourselves. Encountering those problems, anger develops and overwhelms our mind, which leads to violence. A good way to counter this and to work for a more peaceful world is to develop concern for others. Then our anger, jealousy and other destructive emotions will naturally weaken and diminish. ~ His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama

 

 

No matter what comes up

English: Picture of Sharon Salzberg. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No matter what comes up, we can learn new ways of being with it. We have a capacity to meet any thought or emotion with mindfulness and balance. Whatever disagreeable emotion is coursing through us, we can let it go.  Rereading those words may keep you going when sitting down to practice is the last thing you want to do. ~ Sharon Salzberg, “Sticking with It”

 

 

As human beings we are all the same

As human beings, we are all the same. We have this marvelous intelligence, which sometimes creates problems for us, but when influenced by warm-heartedness can be very constructive. In this context, we need to appreciate the value of having moral principles. ~ His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama

Taking Care of Others

Cover of Buddhism for Beginners

Taking care of others can be done with two very different motivations. With one, we care for others in an unhealthy way, seemingly sacrificing ourselves, but really acting out of fear or attachment. People who are attached to praise, reputation, relationships, and so forth and who fear losing these may seemingly neglect their own needs to take care of others. But in fact, they are protecting themselves in an unproductive way. Their care comes not from genuine love, but from a self-centered attempt to be happy that is actually making them more unhappy.

The other way of taking care of others is motivated by genuine affection, and this is what the Buddha encouraged. This kind of affection and respect for others doesn’t seek or expect something in return. It is rooted in the knowledge that all other beings want to be happy and to avoid pain just as much as we do.  ~ Thubten Chodron, Buddhism for Beginners page 32