Respect and Kindness (Ahimsa)

Kindness is a positive state of love and respect.

Kindness extends inwards towards oneself first, before it can extend outwards to others.  Some of us feel and act more kindly to others than to ourselves.  Sure as eggs, this hardness will seep out to others eventually, often to the ones we love the most.  Practise self-kindness and kind self-talk!

Respect for others and ourselves is a given, and does not have to be “earned”.

Kindness aims to do no harm.

Kindness is considerate, generous and forgiving.

Kindness is doing good…even to the not so good.

Good practices for cultivating kindness are

• resisting retaliation after an insult
• resisting the habit of making sniping or niggling comments to others even if they are just teasing or in jest
• not privately wishing anyone ill…it does nothing to them and it’s only corrosive to you

One who practises patience, forgiveness and self control is practising kindness or Ahimsa.)