”Ignorance & Compassion Walk Into a Bar”

Today on the Backyard Buddhist were talking about cultivating compassion and love for those who oppose us. Kindness and compassion for those who seem to battle against what we feel is the “right” way of being is one of the biggest challenges in our daily experience.  Just turn on the news and it isn’t hard to find someone behaving in a manner that just grates against the grain of our own beliefs or path.

Who are we to say that one path is right over another? We have only our own nature and understanding to draw our conclusions.  The place where we shift is when we endeavor to understand another’s actions by looking deep within ourselves for the answer.  What draws fear in me?  What causes my protective ego to stand up and scream?  What causes aggressive and violent behavior in me?  What would it take for me to act through fear and emotion rather than rational thinking?  When you understand that in yourself, you will understand it in another.  Then you can respond with compassion and kindness rather than anger meeting anger.  Rage meeting rage and violence meeting violence.  The shift begins with me and you.