Profound Kindness

Soul Café

Profound Kindness

"Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone,  let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path." – Baha’i Writings

The compassion we feel normally is biased and mixed with attachment. Genuine compassion flows towards all living beings, particularly your enemies. If I try to develop compassion towards my enemy, it may not benefit him directly, he may not even be aware of it. But it will immediately benefit me by calming my mind. On the other hand, if I dwell on how awful everything is, I immediately lose my peace of mind. – D. Lama

"This is worship: to serve mankind & to minister to the needs of the people. Service is prayer." – Baha’i Writings

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”

― Plato

"See ye no strangers, rather see all men as friends, for love & unity come hard when ye fix your gaze on otherness." – Baha’i Writings

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. - Jesus Christ, Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:44

"Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope!" -  Baha’i Writings

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

― Albert Einstein

"Be kind to all peoples…strive ye to gladden every soul." – Baha’i Writings

Satyagraha means "holding to this truth" in every situation, no matter how fierce the storm. Because he wants nothing for himself, the true satyagrahi is not afraid of entering any conflict for the sake of those around him, without hostility, without resentment, without resorting even to violent words. Even in the face of the fiercest provocation, he never lets himself forget that he and his attacker are one. This is ahimsa, which is more than just the absence of violence; it is intense love.  - Eknath Easwaran, `Ghandi the Man'

"Love lights a flame in the heart that is cold." – Baha’i Writings

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

― Mother Teresa

"The tongue is for mentioning what is good…refrain from slander, abuse & whatever causeth sadness in men." – Baha’i Writings

“If we could read the secret history of our enemies we would find in each man’s sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"O people of God! Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men. This can best be achieved through pure and holy deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behaviour." – Baha’i Writings

When we are faced with an enemy, a person or group of people wishing us harm, we can view this as an opportunity to develop patience and tolerance. We need these qualities; they are useful to us. And the only occasion we have to develop them is when we are challenged by an enemy. So, from this point of view, our enemy is our guru, our teacher. Irrespective of their motivation, from our point of view enemies are very beneficial, a blessing. -The Dalai Lama

"Beware lest ye harm any soul, or make any heart to sorrow; lest ye wound any man with your words…be he friend or foe." – Baha’i Writings

“It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

"Prayer need not be in words, but rather in thought and attitude… words without love mean nothing." – Baha’i Writings

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.  -Jesus, Matt. 5:44

"God has sent religion for the purpose of establishing fellowship among humankind & not to create strife & discord"– Baha’i Writings

“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful then a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

"Do not allow negative experiences to make you bitter, they should make you wiser, & with that wisdom you shall find joy." – Baha’i Writings

Like a mother who protects her child, her only child, with her own life, one should cultivate a heart of unlimited love and compassion towards all living beings. 
— The Buddha

"Be sincerely kind, not in appearance only." – Baha’i Writings

“We live happily indeed, not hating those who hate us. Among men who hate us we dwell free from hatred.” – The Buddha

“Hurt people, hurt people.” Only a person that is suffering through a lot of emotional pain could intentionally try and inflict hurt upon another. A person who is full in love would not seriously entertain the thought of trying to  hurt someone else. When you come across a person who is in the midst of such hurt and pain, compassion for them is a helpful and loving response. – M Williamson

"Enkindle with all your might in every meeting the light of the love of God, gladden and cheer every heart with the utmost loving-kindness, show forth your love to the strangers just as you show forth to your relations. If a soul is seeking to quarrel, ask ye for reconciliation; if he blame you, praise him; if he give you a deadly poison, bestow ye an all-healing antidote; if he createth death, administer ye eternal life; if he becometh a thorn, change ye into roses and hyacinths. Perchance, through such deeds and words, this darkened world will become illuminated, this terrestrial universe will become transformed into a heavenly realm, and this satanic prison become a divine court; warfare and bloodshed be annihilated, and love and faithfulness hoist the tent of unity upon the apex of the world." – Baha’i Writings

Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."

      And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said:

      When love beckons to you follow him,

      Though his ways are hard and steep.

      And when his wings enfold you yield to him,

      Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you believe in him,

      Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.  For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

      Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,

      So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth. Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

      He threshes you to make you naked. He sifts you to free you from your husks.

      He grinds you to whiteness.  He kneads you until you are pliant;

      And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

      All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

      But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,

      Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,

      Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

      Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

      Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love. When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, I am in the heart of God."

      And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

      Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.

      But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:

      To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

      To know the pain of too much tenderness.

      To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

      And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

      To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving; To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

      To return home at eventide with gratitude;

      And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.