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Mett: The practice of loving kindness

I have heard somewhere the perhaps true story of the writer Aldous Huxley who became more interested towards the end of his life in studying various spiritual traditions, philosophies, mysticism and other religious psychologies. Just before he died, someone said to him candidly if not caustically, "Aldous, my boy, after all this time, have you really learnt anything worthwhile from any of this?" He replied somewhat thoughtfully, somewhat pensively and somewhat demurely and quietly, well at least for him, that is, "I'm just a little embarrassed to say it, but I can summarize it all in only these few words, "Just try to be a little bit kinder." "To me, that's greater than any powers and abilities or even knowledge that I might have obtained " "For me this is active love and to love one another is still the greatest commandment I have ever come across"



To me this sums up Life: kindness is loving and loving is our goal. So be as kind as you can be, be one of a kind. How do you be kind then, be considerate, be kind so that when you are hurt by others you don't give the hurt back. Smile and try to be gentle, kind, considerate and loving. By being kind in this way is being thoughtful before acting and then acting with love. All the Masters and the great master Jesus have ever advised us has been said in order to try to enable us to feel and to know love. So often we already acknowledge or know the truth of this in our minds, but I feel we need to feel it in our heart and treating people kindly is the key to the door of the heart and will open it for love to pour in and out of. So try to be kind and treat people nicely, don't antagonise, don't upset someone intentionally, be kind, be honest in sweetness and humility. Try not to fight back with your own defensive aggressiveness, be a little kinder that's always your answer. Gentle kindness is the kindness of gentleness which is love. Love is gentle in a powerful way. It is powerfully gentle, powerfully kind by powerfully not reacting with anger and aggression and returning fire with fire. Return fire with love and always give love in return to all.

Another question for me is: is it always kind to be truthful? What is being kindly truthful is it the same as being truthfully kind?

And yes, I think it is the same. To be kindly truthful is not to use the truth as a battering ram on someone else by forcing truth onto them. And to be truthfully kind is to be kind by telling the whole truth and to not try to be perceived as kind by giving a lesser truth or distorted truth because you think the whole truth is too much for them and will hurt them more. No, give your whole truth but give it kindly, be truthfully kind or kindly truthful and this is love, being loving, displaying love, feeling love and recognising a connection of love which is what kindness always does.

Learn more about this author, Steve Marshall.
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