Opening Words:

"There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; my philosophy is kindness."
— The Dalai Lama

Check-in/Sharing

Topic:

Buddha of Infinite Light by D. T. Suzuki is a commentary on the path of Pure Land Buddhism. Here's a story from this tradition about kindness:

"When a man heard noise coming from his yard, he looked out and saw neighborhood boys climbing up one of the fruit trees in the yard, trying to steal some fruits. So he went out into the yard and placed a ladder underneath the boys in the tree. He then quietly returned to his house. Is this not a stupid thing to do? The boys are stealing his fruits, but the owner does not stop them from committing an unlawful act. This man feared that when the children try to come down the tree, nervous about being caught, they might slip and fall, and hurt themselves. His impulse was to prevent them from being injured, not to save his property from thieves."

For Reflection/Journaling:

Share a story about a time when you were surprised by someone's kindness to you.

Check-out/Likes and Wishes

Closing Words:

"Be kind to people whether they deserve your kindness or not. If your kindness reaches the deserving, good for you; if your kindness reaches the undeserving, take joy in your compassion."
— James Fadiman and Robert Frager in Essential Sufism

To Practice This Thought: Find a way to be kind to an unsuspecting person.