Living in Love Award: Kindness Crusade

April 28, 2012 by The Alternate Economy

As part of her prize, I Stop for Suffering has shared this post with us. Please enjoy this thoughtful post and don’t forget to check out her blog.

I Stop for Suffering

Kindness Crusade

One should cherish all living beings – radiating kindness over the entire world

I listened to a great talk on the Metta Sutta this week, and it really gave me pause to think about kindness and the conditions needed to cultivate and increase kindness and tenderness in the world.

An excerpt of the Metta Sutta:

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in safety,
May all beings be at ease.

What if we all made the decision to live according to this sutta?

If we made an intention to live ethically and kindly?

Peace would be possible. Inner-peace would be possible. And peace on Earth.

“Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way”. The Dalai Lama

We can further cultivate peace, and increase kindness by:

Not taking the life of any living thing

Not taking things that are not given

Not engaging in sensual misconduct

Refraining from false speech

Abstaining from substances which cause intoxication and heedlessness

In order for our hearts to manifest the desire – “may all beings be at ease” we must first have gladness and safety in our minds and hearts.

Living with gratitude, kindness and love all gladden and reassure the heart and mind.

As does finding the joy in each moment and each situation.

And with wisdom, and the development of wisdom, we can look around us and see that everyone is suffering. That everyone has a story filled with difficulties and challenges, loss of hopes and dreams.

Really realising this and seeing this brings a true tenderness of heart.

My personal desire is to develop the equanimity needed to be able to see what is happening in the world around me. So I can bring kindness to every situation and make a difference.

Being kind is taking a stand.

“Do not fight against pain, embrace with tenderness.”
~ Thich Nhat Hanh