Generosity IV

Generosity is one of the first teachings that the Buddha gives. It is important for our spiritual growth. We need to practice generosity.

One of the most beautiful expressions of Generosity is the sharing of Kindness with another. The Dalai Lama says:

My religion is loving-kindness. Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

Here is a short reading from the website of Doug Kraft, easingawake.com, in a section titled Cultivating Grace (anything you enjoy that you didn’t earn):

Kindness is simple. Love can be complicated. It can be confused with everything from selflessness to greed. But kindness is simple. It begins with gentle presence: truly being with another person or creature.

Then it flows out from the heart. When we’re present with someone feeling good, kindness flows out as friendliness. When we’re present with someone feeling bad, kindness flows out as compassion. When we’re present with someone feeling peaceful, kindness flows as a quiet emanation of joy.

From the outside, kindness may look as soft as patting a kitten or as fierce as a mother bear protecting a cub. Kindness can be as humble as retiring from a hopeless argument or as courageous as running into a burning building. Kindness can be as soothing as cool water on parched lips or as sharp as a knife lancing a boil.

Kindness cannot be measured externally. It can’t be defined by specific actions. We alone can know for sure the quality of our heart. Still, when it is genuine, it is palpable.

Years ago I was crying in our family room. My four-and-a-half-year-old son, Damon, walked into the room, saw me, turned around, and ran upstairs to his room. A moment later he came down carrying a piece of rabbit fur he’d gotten at school. It was soft and soothing. He didn’t say a word. He just handed it to me.

To this day, I don’t remember what I was crying about. But I’ll never forget the kindness that flowed through that soft gesture.

Our benefactor and caring moment practices are all about that same experience. We may not remember what the situation was, but we remember the felt sense of care, the comfort, the support, and kindness we received in that moment. You can use the Caring Moment practices to resonate with and enliven those qualities in our heart right now.