News and images from Burma (Myanmar) have inspired and shocked us over the last few days. The courage of the monks and of the people is extraordinary, and I pray that it will continue.
British Buddhist Vishvapani spoke about the gathering crisis on the radio yesterday. He describes seeing snatches of ancient Buddhist writings on the slogans the monks were carrying:
May all beings; weak or strong; large or small; seen or unseen, near or far; all be happy at heart
He talks about having just returned from a retreat focusing on the Buddhist call to Loving Kindness:
Its aim is to foster intense friendliness for all beings, starting with oneself and then including a friend or teacher, someone for whom your feelings are neutral, an enemy and then everyone. Doing this again and again, and especially focusing in a kindly way on people to whom you feel hostile stirs memories, regrets and resentments, and that has a transforming, purifying effect. It shakes up the whole of your emotional life and creates a space in which loving kindness can emerge.
Really read this passage. Note what it starts with: oneself. Love thy neighbour as thyself. We often see this call to love of self. Not in a cosseting, cosy sense, but love of ourselves as beings of light. We cannot truly feel compassion and love for others unless we feel them for ourselves.
And then of course the quality of loving kindness goes further: to love your enemy. How challenging this is. Who popped into your mind when you thought of ‘your enemy’?
Vishvapani writes of how practising the quality of loving kindness must sometimes naturally propel us into action:
Whatever the outcome of the monks’ revolt, their courage in stepping outside their monasteries to stand by ordinary people is a victory in itself. The monks are honouring the Buddha’s words teaching that loving kindness is also a call to action:
“Just as a mother would risk her life for her child, her only child, so let one cultivate boundless love towards all beings.”
To read a transcript of Vishvapani’s broadcast, click here. To sign an on-line petition supporting the Burmese uprising, click here.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s amazing to think we could actually live in a world like this – one where we all saw our capacity for light and then pushed that light towards each other.
It’s also amazing to think there are those here on earth that have so little regard for themselves that they can only have little regard for everyone else. It does start with self – because you can’t respect others if you can’t respect yourself.
“its aim is to foster intense friendliness for all beings, starting with oneself and then including a friend or teacher, someone for whom your feelings are neutral, an enemy and then everyone.”
loving kindness…you’re singing my song, tess.
thank you for this well put post. lots to ponder!
Jules: I think I’ve probably quoted this here before, but Maya Angelou talks of an African proverb – “Never trust a naked man who offers you his shirt”. I’ve always remembered that.
Lucy: Tra la la!!
Thank you for the thoughtful post! The Buddhist tradition of loving kindness meditation is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen.
Anne
These were words I really needed to hear today.Thanks so much.
Thanks Anne and Yolanda.