Kindness

You know, humans have a way of imagining what it would be like for them to be happy,

but at the same time they usually imagine that being happy depends on getting their own way.

The trouble with that, of course, is other people,

all of them with their own ideas of getting their own way.

And then there's all the things that happen in their lives

to make their own way different.

So they are always going to be surrounded by people they disagree with,

and because they disagree with those people they don't like them,

and because they don't like each other

each one doesn't care if they hurt the other

while they are trying to make themselves happy.

What they need is to find a way to like those people they disagree with,

and they do that by trying to imagine how other people feel,

because although they may disagree about things

humans all have the same sorts of feelings.

They all feel happy and sad and angry at different times,

and need to understand that different people

can have the same feelings, but about different things.

Then, when we see the feelings that we share,

we can start to see that those we disagree with are not so different from us,

and see them through the eyes of Love.

Then even though we may not like what they say or do,

we can treat them with Kindness,

and in time they may get to look on us in the same way.

But Loving Kindness is not given for reward.

The urge to be kind is just one of giving, not getting.

Not that Loving Kindess does not have it's own reward,

because giving or sharing or caring for others is still good for the one who gives or shares or cares.

The reward of Loving Kindness comes from the feeling of an open heart,

and feeling the open hearts of others.