kindness
September 27th, 2005[ in the kitchen surfing the web ]
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My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.
—Dalai Lama
. . . .
As you can tell, I’ve been reading much of the Dalai Lama’s writings lately.
Compassion, and Kindness…
If there were two things needed more in this world it is the above two.
. . . .
Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t appreciate kindness and compassion.
—Dalai Lama
I would add Forgiveness, but this can be considered an outcome… a result of Kindness and Compassion.
In my life, I’ve pretty much forgiven everyone who has treated me harshly. I’ve come to realize that we are all a part of the family of humankind. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and if someone had treated me badly, it’s because that person has had some negativity brought on to him/her at one time or another. If not, then that person wouldn’t have reason to lash out at others.
Anger, Hatred, Indifference…. is basically a sign of weakness. It’s a part of the human condition that we all must transcend. There is a higher level of understanding that we all must strive towards in order to end many things… wars, racism, world hunger, etc.
There are many things we can do in our society that would spread the message of kindness to all. But it can start at its most basic level. That of simply treating others with kindness, with the common sense of dignity and respect that each of us deserves.
. . . .
This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.
—Dalai Lama
