Copyright 2010 SOUL Research Institute
C
bliss
LOVING-KINDNESS
Long time ago, in a small Indian village, a wise man lived near the bank of a river. Daily, he used to go to the river for a holy dip. There was only one way to get to the river—through a narrow gully, where he would encounter an old woman who hated him. As a daily routine, she would clean her apartment and throw the bucket of dirty water out of her balcony just when the wise man would walk past her house on his way back from the holy dip, completely drenching and soiling him. The wise man would quietly turn around and go back to the river for another holy dip. Day after day this drama continued until one day, nothing came splashing out of the old woman’s balcony. The wise man stopped for a minute waiting for something to happen but nothing did. So, what did the wise man do? He knocked on the door of the old woman’s apartment.
“What do you want?” said the old woman angrily.
“Nothing ma’am. I was just concerned about you. I thought you might have fallen sick. Is everything all right?” said the wise man.
After a brief period of silence, the old woman was in the wise man’s arms, hugging him tightly, crying.
Love had won over hatred.
Loving-kindness is the first element of love which has the characteristic of removing hatred and developing non-hatred. Its function is to choose welfare over harm. It is manifested as the removal of animosity, hostility, enmity, ill feelings and ill will. Its proximate cause is “considering all living creatures as friendly and worthy of love and kindness, no matter what!”
How to Develop Loving-Kindness
The easiest way to arouse loving-kindness is to genuinely consider any person as someone who is worthy of love and kindness. When you do that, love arises almost instantly and naturally, and cools down the anger and resentment. You can experientially understand this by applying it while having a heated argument with your spouse or a friend. Because loving-kindness removes hatred and associated unwholesome emotions, it is considered as a great purifier of the contaminated human consciousness. Loving-kindness is like a fragrance that removes the disgusting smell of hatred, irritation, anger, and so on. It is like a cool breeze that removes hot air.
Start developing loving-kindness towards yourself first. You are always the dearest person to you, whether you agree or not. Once you develop love for yourself, you will never harm another because you will realize that just as you are dearest to you, others’ selves are dearest to them.
It is not as easy to develop loving-kindness towards another person, especially a hostile person, as it is to develop it towards yourself, your child, or your friend. In fact, if you try haphazardly to develop it towards your enemy, it will fatigue the mind. Therefore, you must learn to love yourself before loving another. This is the foundation of loving-kindness.
SOUL RESEARCH INSTITUTE NEWSLETTER, OCTOBER 23, 2010
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Email spiritually@gmail.com and reserve date and time asap. All consultations are confidential and cost-free. Donations are gladly accepted. Sundays, 1.30 pm - 5 pm only.
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"..Loving people more than they deserve.."
Joseph Joubert
"Loving-kindness...the language deaf can hear and blind can see."
From Mark Twain
"My religion is very simple..It is Loving-kindndess.."
From Dalai Lama
"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for loving-kindndess."
Lucius
"You can not practice loving-kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late."
Ralf Waldo Emerson
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Loving yourself does not mean becoming self-centered. It simply means not harming yourself in any way.
As you mature in loving yourself, your sense of self will begin to dissolve and the sense of love will begin to evolve. It will expand and naturally extend to those who are dearest to you and then to those beyond. Eventually your love will evolve to such an extent that you will begin to abide in love consciousness. In this way, loving-kindness will gradually purify all of your relationships, beginning with your children, spouses, parents, siblings, and friends, then people you know favorably, people you don’t know, and at last your enemies, if they exist.
While developing loving-kindness towards a hostile person or an enemy, feelings of hurt and resentment are bound to arise. In fact, such feelings may arise while developing loving-kindness towards even a spouse or parents. How can you ignore these feelings? Can you really get rid of all the hurt and resentment? The answer is yes, because, the inherent nature of loving-kindness is to destroy all barriers. You cannot have hatred even for your worst enemy when you are thoroughly absorbed in loving-kindness. What arises in mind is only the welfare and happiness of all.
Local Neighboorhood
US Post Office
12225 Voyager Pkwy, #4,
COlorado Springs
now carries Sam's book
"The Elements of Soul"
I’m certain you’ll agree after practicing following meditations. (See links at the end of column).
Remember to develop loving-kindness towards yourself first, then towards those who are near and dear to you, and then towards others. This is the easiest and the most natural way.
Loving-kindness is truly auspicious because it makes our lives free of resentment, anger, hatred, and so on. When we consistently practice and cultivate loving-kindness and establish ourselves in it, we feel blessed. We abide comfortably in this world due to our harmless nature. We become dear to one and all. We win over all enemies. Our expressions become serene. Our presence carries tranquility and calmness wherever we go. We become holy. We become divine.
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Loving-Kindness
Meditation Workshop
Sunday Gathering and Potluck
Sam Adettiwar will conduct the workshop starting Sunday, October 24, 2010 through November 2010. Timings as usual (see below).
Come and go anytime as you likeNO FEES. JUST PRACTICE.
10.00-10.30am: Soul Yoga
10.30-11.00am: Soul Breathing
11.00-11.30am: Meditation Workshop
11.30-Noon: Questions/Answers
Noon - 12.30pm: Potluck (Veg.)
12.30 - Whatever: Noble Discussion
Where: Fire Dept. Hall: 2490 Research Parkway, Briargate Area, Colorado Springs, CO
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