Kindness

[another bob]

Here's a few random pointers, maybe you can add more . . .


"The beginning and end of Torah is performing acts of loving kindness."
~The Talmud


"The best portions of a good man's life,
His little, nameless, unremembered acts,
Of kindness and love."

~William Wordsworth



"Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind."

~Eric Hoffer



"Compassion is the chief law of human existence."

~Fyodor Dostoyevsky



"Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom."

~Theodore Isaac Rubin



"Kindness is an inner desire that makes us want to do good things
even if we do not get anything in return. It is the joy of our life to do them.
When we do good things from this inner desire,
there is kindness in everything we think, say, want and do."

~ Emmanuel Swedenborg




"One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession. Kindness gives birth to kindness."

~Sophocles



"You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot do by force."

~Publilius Syrus




"What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?"

~Jean Jacques Rousseau



"If we make our goal to live a life of compassion and unconditional love,
then the world will indeed become a garden where all kinds of flowers can bloom and grow."

~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross



"The person who doesn't fit in with our notions of who is worthy of our love –
the bag lady at the corner, the strange old man who rides through town on a
three-wheel bike all strung up with flags -- is just the person who, by not fitting
into our patterns, insists that we expand not only our views but also our capacity to love.
Today, see if you can stretch your heart and expand your love so that it touches
no only those to whom you can give it easily, but also to those who need it so much."

~Daphne Rose Kingma




"Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared."

~Henri Nouwen




"Let us be kinder to one another."

~Aldous Huxley, on his deathbed



"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."

~The Dalai Lama



"Compassionate the mountains rise
Dim with the wistful dimness of old eyes
That, having looked on life time out of mind,
Know that the simple gift of being kind
Is greater than all the wisdom of the wise."

~DuBose Heyward



"Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one!"

~Marcus Aurelius

[ViralSpiral]

[Zebra]

Your kind is what we need more of around here AB ! Nice thread. There are some nice quotations in your list.

I am also reminded how reverse sayings have sullied the reputation for being kind as well - like " it's cruel to be kind" or " if you're too kind people will walk all over you" or "..careful, dont be too kind, people will think that you want something from them"

I like what my mother always said, "Kindness darling does not cost anything, give all you can"

[another bob]

If folks only could see that, once on the other side during the life review, it's only the love that we shared and the way that we cared that really matters. Conversely, even the slightest bit of unconscious cruelty will come back to pierce us, since we will feel exactly what our victim felt, and not just that, but all the ripples from that unkindness too! This is not a metaphor, seriously!

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPwnfrzUNNg

[eileenrose]

"The beginning and end of Torah is performing acts of loving kindness."
~The Talmud

guess that didn't work.

[Nora]

Bo Lozoff: “In the midst of global crises such as pollution, wars and famine, kindness may be too easily dismissed as a 'soft' issue, or a luxury to be addressed after the urgent problems are solved. But kindness is the greatest need in all those areas -- kindness toward the environment, toward other nations, toward the needs of people who are suffering. Until we reflect basic kindness in everything we do, our political gestures will be fleeting and fragile.
Simple kindness may be the most vital key to the riddle of how human beings can live with each other in peace, and care properly for this planet we all share.”

Sharon Salzberg: “Loving-kindness and compassion are the basis for wise, powerful, sometimes gentle, and sometimes fierce actions that can really make a difference -- in our own lives and those of others.”

and this is one of my favorite quotes from Hafiz

Hafiz of Persia: “Even after all this time,
The sun never says to the earth,
'You owe me.'
Look what happens with
A love like that.
It lights the whole sky.”

Love

Nora

[zenith]

Do not place the words of gurus, ministers, priests, scientists, psychologists, friends - or my words - higher than
the feelings of your own being. You can learn much from others, but the deepest knowledge must come from
within yourself. Your unique consciousness is embarked upon a reality that basically can be experienced by no
other, that is unique and untranslatable, with it's own meaning, following it's own paths of becoming.
You share an existence with others who are experiencing their own journeys in their own ways, and you have
journeying in common, then. Be kind to yourself and to your companions.

~ Seth

[another bob]

Posted by eileenrose (here)

"The beginning and end of Torah is performing acts of loving kindness."
~The Talmud

guess that didn't work.

It works for those who work it.

[another bob]

Posted by Nora (here)

..one of my favorite quotes from Hafiz

Hafiz of Persia: “Even after all this time,
The sun never says to the earth,
'You owe me.'
Look what happens with
A love like that.
It lights the whole sky.”

Love

Nora

Thanks, Sister! One of my favorites from him on this topic:

I know the way you can get

When you have not had a drink of Love:



Your face hardens,

Your sweet muscles cramp.

Children become concerned

About a strange look that appears in your eyes

Which even begins to worry your own mirror

And nose.



Squirrels and birds sense your sadness

And call an important conference in a tall tree.

They decide which secret code to chant

To help your mind and soul.



Even angels fear that brand of madness

That arrays itself against the world

And throws sharp stones and spears into

The innocent

And into one's self.



O I know the way you can get

If you have not been drinking Love:



You might rip apart

Every sentence your friends and teachers say,

Looking for hidden clauses.



You might weigh every word on a scale

Like a dead fish.



You might pull out a ruler to measure

From every angle in your darkness

The beautiful dimensions of a heart you once

Trusted.



I know the way you can get

If you have not had a drink from Love's

Hands.



That is why all the Great Ones speak of

The vital need

To keep remembering God,

So you will come to know and see Him

As being so Playful

And Wanting,

Just Wanting to help.



That is why Hafiz says:

Bring your cup near me.

For all I care about

Is quenching your thirst for freedom!



All a Sane man can ever care about

Is giving Love!



From: 'I Heard God Laughing - Renderings of Hafiz'

Translated by Daniel Ladinsky

[genevieve]

The ONLY regrets I have are the opportunities to be kind I've let slip away.

Thank you for this wonderful thread.

Peace Love Joy & Harmony,
Genevieve

[Anchor]

Little girl says "Be kind!"

So what if it looks a little staged, its very very cool

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxm5ol6GE48

[<8>]

Thanks my friends..


I am kind, because I know who we really are..

[another bob]

Posted by Anchor (here)
Little girl says "Be kind!"

So what if it looks a little staged, its very very cool

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxm5ol6GE48

"Out of the mouths of babes", eh . . .

Sure, it's a cliche, but maybe it's useful to consider our own innocent child heart, and how we let it slip into the background, while we were busy attempting to conform to a consensus reality that has no place for the vulnerability of that prior innocence. In that prior innocence, for most, kindness was simply a natural gesture, without need for any cultivation.

[pyrangello]

From the depth's of our soul comes the beauty from our inner energy that never has to be explained only witnessed by our actions of what we were truly created for.................. kindness.

[Kristin]

There are a lot of unkind things happening in the world, and being blind to them is not a kindness to anyone. But using "kindness" to point these parts of our reality out is not only a useful tool, but it is also a state of being. For example, sitting a child down to kindly tell them that striking their little brother with a bat is "wrong" can do a lot of good... and it sets an example. But not reacting to the situation will create another set of difficulties.

Our planet is riddled with pain, sadness, and degradation. Is it unkind to say so? No, it is necessary to point it out in a kind way so that there may be a reaction that can bring about change.

As human spirits inhabiting this planet we all could use little "kind" reminders that we can all use a mirror at times to see ourselves clearly and that we need to experience true kindness through endeavouring to change our inner selves. Kindness to create space and interaction with others that allows an open door to change.

For example: Recently a friend of mine had a house sitting position and ended up doing about $3000 worth of damage to the home. She refused to take responsibility and left the owners with bills as well. They were furious! However, I asked permission to interact on their behalf. I kindly left open a door by saying, "If at any time you decide that you would like to make payments to pay for the damage I would be happy to direct those payments on your behalf." Do you see the open door?

We are so imperfectly perfect here. This is heavily played out here on Avalon and in the rest of our lives. Change is the only constant in the universe... how we choose to interact with change is our free will. I choose kindness.

From the Heart,
Kristin

[another bob]

Posted by Kristin (here)
Change is the only constant in the universe... how we choose to interact with change is our free will. I choose kindness.

From the Heart,
Kristin

Thank you, Kristin!

Yes, we are always being presented with choices, which are in actuality tests, which we have given to ourselves, to see how we will react. This seems to be the curriculum here in 3-D. When kindness becomes our spontaneous response, we've learned a big lesson, and are ready for the next class.

[Zencat]

Be helpless, dumbfounded,
Unable to say yes or no.
Then a stretcher will come from grace
to gather us up.

We are too dull-eyed to see that beauty.
If we say we can, we’re lying.
If we say No, we don’t see it,
That No will behead us
And shut tight our window onto spirit.

So let us rather not be sure of anything,
Beside ourselves, and only that, so
Miraculous beings come running to help.
Crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute,
We shall be saying finally,
With tremendous eloquence, Lead us.
When we have totally surrendered to that beauty,
We shall be a mighty kindness.

Rumi

[Mulder]

There's so much horror, rudeness, violence in the world that we need more kindness. But I'm tired of helping people who turn on me and throw it in my face. I'm witholding a lot of kindness until people show they aren't using me.

[another bob]

Posted by Mulder (here)
There's so much horror, rudeness, violence in the world that we need more kindness. But I'm tired of helping people who turn on me and throw it in my face. I'm witholding a lot of kindness until people show they aren't using me.

"Do not do something, therefore, because you think someone else needs you. That only builds resentment. Do whatever you do as a means of deciding, declaring, creating, and experiencing who you are -- and who you choose to be. Then you will never feel victimized, powerless, or without choice. Yes? You see how simple it all is? Get out of victimhood."

~Neale Donald Walsch


"If life was easy none of us would be here now. Life is not easy for the same reasons that being in prison is not easy. Prison is designed to keep inmates from coming back. And yet the prisons are filled with repeat offenders. Why are we so easily offended by others? That is the root of most of our problems. The powers will throw gasoline on our hate and other issues. The more issues we have the more fire we get. That's why it's best to snuff out ill feelings and envy before they snuff us out."

~Lou Baldin

[Mulder]

Posted by another bob (here)

Posted by Mulder (here)
There's so much horror, rudeness, violence in the world that we need more kindness. But I'm tired of helping people who turn on me and throw it in my face. I'm witholding a lot of kindness until people show they aren't using me.

"Do not do something, therefore, because you think someone else needs you. That only builds resentment. Do whatever you do as a means of deciding, declaring, creating, and experiencing who you are -- and who you choose to be. Then you will never feel victimized, powerless, or without choice. Yes? You see how simple it all is? Get out of victimhood."

~Neale Donald Walsch


"If life was easy none of us would be here now. Life is not easy for the same reasons that being in prison is not easy. Prison is designed to keep inmates from coming back. And yet the prisons are filled with repeat offenders. Why are we so easily offended by others? That is the root of most of our problems. The powers will throw gasoline on our hate and other issues. The more issues we have the more fire we get. That's why it's best to snuff out ill feelings and envy before they snuff us out."~Lou Baldin

I understand your points, but let me explain - many people are selfish & they treat me like dirt, take what I have and give me nothing in return. I have to protect myself from these people. Thomas Sheridan says 4% of the population are psychopaths - "a predatory consciousness" and these people cannot care about anyone but themselves. I wish all people were good like I am, but they just aren't. It's a shame.