Kindness

Our world needs more kindness, but sometimes it's hard to be kind in turbulent times. A highly-respected spiritual author offers insights, stories, and practical advice to help us practice kindness wherever we live and work. When asked how we can become perfect, a medieval mystic answered: “Be kind, be kind, be kind.” If that sounds naïve or unrealistic in our modern age, Easwaran points out that “there is nothing sentimental about this quality; kindness can be as tough as nails.” He links kindness with strength: “To me it means the internal toughness to take whatever life deals out without losing your humanity. It is those who never stoop to retaliation, never demand an eye for an eye, who are truly strong.” In other articles he notes the “close connection between patience, kindness, and love,” and tells us that kindness to others also means being kind to ourselves: “When you are always kind to others, kindness becomes an attitude. Your natural response is to be kind. Then you cannot help being kind to yourself as well.” Easwaran draws on the teachings of the Buddha and the Bhagavad Gita to help us stay patient and loving, also in our more challenging relationships and situations. The book closes with a description of Easwaran’s eight-point program of passage meditation, so we can learn to calm our minds and stay kind, whatever life brings.