These two talks address the inquiry: How do we awaken from the contempt and hatred that causes so much suffering in our world? The first talk looks at how we can use the practices of mindfulness and compassion to decondition our habits of self-blame and self-hatred, as well as the importance of helping each other defuse the trance of unworthiness. The second talk extends the use of these practices to situations where we’ve locked into external “bad othering.” These times need our deepened dedication to love: By intentionally arousing compassion for ourselves and others, we directly contribute to the evolution of consciousness in our world.
The Buddha said: “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”
If we have no peace it is because we’ve forgotten that we belong to each other.
~ Mother Theresa“To our most bitter opponents we say: ‘We shall meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you. We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws, because noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good. … One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process.’ ”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr., Loving Your Enemies