In Tibet in the 1820s, a bandit much feared for his cruelty once came to the cave of the hermit Jigme Gyalwai Nyugu, intending to steal his meager provisions. Entering the cave, he found himself in the presence of a serene old man meditating with his eyes closed, his hair a mane of white, his face radiating peace, love, and compassion. At the very moment when the thief saw the sage, his aggression vanished and he stood several minutes watching him with wonder. Then he withdrew after asking the sage for his blessing. From them on, whenever the thief saw the opportunity to do wrong to anyone, the serene face of the white-haired old man came to his mind and he abandoned his evil plan. Visualizing such scenes is not about having fun with autosuggestion, but about being in resonance with the basic goodness lying at our very core.
— Matthieu Ricard, Happiness