The Kindness Box

[Geoff-Allen]

Kindness is a Part of Spiritual Life

Each human being is a medium through which God’s magnetism flows. Do not obstruct that power through unkindness. To grow closer to God, you must be kind and loving to all. Those who fill their hearts with unkindness can never learn to love God. Love of God is drowned out when unkindness vibrates in the body temple.

Unkind words, spoken in a fit of emotion, are like a conflagration spreading over the forest of friendship, burning up all the green plants of courteous dealings and sympathetic thoughts. Banish unkind words forever, and protect your life from the invasion of trouble and sudden partings.

Heartfelt kindness is liberating. When you experience deep kindness in your heart, you are at peace inwardly and see everything as part of God. You accept all things without judgment, and look with kindness and sympathy on everyone, no matter how wrong. Always be kind to others so that you may learn the art of being kind to yourself.

Kindness: Foundation of the Spiritual Life — Ananda

Those who fill their hearts with unkindness can never learn to love God.To grow closer to God, you must be kind and loving to all. Making others happy through kindness of speech and sincerity of right advice is a sign of true greatness.

www.ananda.org

Loads more at that site if you have the time & the curiosity!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Many years ago a great teacher, known as the Tree Roshi, lived in a tree, secluded, and meditated for many years. After his great awakening, not only birds flocked around him, but people from all over were drawn to see him. Great groups of people gathered and begged him to come down out of the tree and share his wisdom with them.

Finally, he had no choice.

The tree Roshi climbed down to earth, sat with others and listened to their needs.

"Please tell us what you have learned," they begged of him.

"Whatever is harmful to you, do not do to another," he replied simply. "Whatever would bring you benefit, do to others as well."

"Is that it?" The people were disappointed. "Even an eight year old child knows that," they said.

"Yes," answered the Tree Roshi. "Even an eight year old child knows it, but even an eighty year old man cannot do it."

Read more at this site which is also rather large!

The Great Practice of Kindness | Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life | Spirituality & Practice

A Zen story about the simple importance of kindness.

www.spiritualityandpractice.com

Enjoy your browsing!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

"Teach us to remember the little courtesies, to be swift to speak the grateful and happy word, to believe rejoicingly in each other's best, and to face all life bravely because we face it with united heart."

Walter Russell Bowie quoted in The Gift of Prayer edited by Jared Kieling

"Appreciative words are the most powerful force for good on the earth."

George W. Crane quoted in Full Esteem Ahead by Diane Loomans

"Kindness trumps greed: it asks for sharing. Kindness trumps fear: it calls forth gratefulness and love. Kindness trumps even stupidity, for with sharing and love, one learns."

Marc Estrin quoted in Prayers for a Thousand Years edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon

Quotes: Kindness

Multifaith website on everyday spirituality and 37 key practices. Book, film, and arts reviews; e-courses and practice circles; spiritual quotes; teacher profiles; blogs; galleries; videos

www.spiritualityandpractice.com

Cheers!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

A gallery of quotes & links to the books they come from -

Galleries – 12s Index | Spirituality & Practice

Be inspired with galleries of beautifully designed memes on spiritual practices; each consists of 12 slides. Start with Attention and work your way through Zeal.

www.spiritualityandpractice.com

Enjoy!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

"Kindness is the secret password whereby we recognize our connection to one another. Kindness is the vehicle for all positive interaction, and the absence of kindness, the opportunity for all our crimes," write the editors of this collection of stories and inspirational quotations. Even countless volunteers in America devote their time and energy to making the world a better place, millions of other people yearn for a more vibrant sense of connection with others in their everyday lives.

The Community of Kindness by Editors of Random Acts of Kindness | Review | Spirituality & Practice

A wonderful collection of stories and inspirational quotations.

www.spiritualityandpractice.com

All the best!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Stories about helping others

These 26 Stories About Strangers Helping People In Need Will Remind You That Humanity Is Not Doomed

Take comfort in these stories of the best of humanity.

We asked the BuzzFeed community to share their favorite stories of a time they received an act of kindness from a stranger. The results were overwhelmingly heartfelt and moving.

These 26 Stories About Strangers Helping People In Need Will Remind You That Humanity Is Not Doomed

Take comfort in these stories of the best of humanity.

www.buzzfeed.com

Enjoy!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Found a similar site - yet to fully explore all the menus at top-of-page!

Act of Kindness and Goodwill • Moral Stories

Mr. Phillips was just getting ready to leave his office and he remembered that his wife had asked him to bring 1KG of Bananas. When He stepped out, he saw

www.moralstories.org

All the best.

 

[Geoff-Allen]

"Just as bright sun causes ice cubes to melt, in the moments when we feel connected and kind, we create a warm environment that encourages others around us to relax and open up. Each time we widen the circle of caring - with a smile, a hug, a listening presence, a prayer - the ripples flow out endlessly. When we offer comfort to the person sitting by our side, our kindness spreads through the world. Whether offered inwardly or to others, the bodhisattva’s compassion is a gentle rain that touches, without bias, all of life.’"

Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance, Awakening the Love that Heals Fear and Shame Within Us.

More here -

Helpful Words

Insights and Reflections from Buddhist and other Spiritual Traditions

rainbowtwo.tumblr.com

It's a huge site!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Love has nothing to do with finding someone who is worth loving, or checking out people to see whether they are truly lovable. If we investigate ourselves honestly enough, we find that we’re not all that lovable either, so why do we expect somebody else to be totally lovable? it has nothing to do with the qualities of the other person, or whether he or she wants to be loved, is going to love us back, or needs love. Everyone needs love. Because we know our own faults, when somebody loves us we think, Oh, that’s great, this person loves me and doesn’t even know I have all these problems. We’re looking for somebody to love us to support a certain image of ourselves. If we can’t find anybody, we feel bereft. People even get depressed or search for escape routes. These are wrong ways of going at it.’

Ayya Khema, What Love Is

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Compassion begins at home. The heart of loving-kindness is awakened through caring for ourselves, as well as those near to us, those we easily feel love and compassion for. Then we extend that same warmth and concern for others, who are more distant, less familiar. The more expansive the circle of our care, the more we discover the big heart of true compassion.

The key point is that this path of awakening the heart is a natural process - it’s going with the grain of our own basic goodness, following the flowing movement of an instinctive desire to wake up. We already have a powerful appetite for wisdom. We long to rediscover our inborn strength - a mind filled with kindness. We are uncovering a spontaneous aspiration to find the courage whose closest ally is tenderness.’

Gaylon Ferguson, Natural Wakefulness: Discovering the Wisdom We Were Born With.

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Loving-kindness involves wishing peace, joy, and tenderness for others. It means celebrating successes, easing suffering, and cultivating feelings of friendliness and affection.

We cannot do this with a hardened heart.

A hardened heart is closed or blocked off. It may expect the worst or interpret hostile intent. A hardened heart is surrounded by not merely a wall but by a fortress of steal.

With a heart that never hardens, there is ample room for warmth, forgiveness, patience, and compassion. Having a heart that never hardens also reflects our ability to love and be loved.

Yes, being loved is actually an ability. Let me be clear. By ability to be loved, I don’t mean lovability or worthiness of love. I mean being able to allow others to love you.

We make decisions about vulnerability, trust, and love when we’ve been hurt. We protect against vulnerability or we try again, decide that people are or are not to be trusted, and either open ourselves up to or block ourselves off from love.

Practicing Loving-Kindness When You Are Hurting

It's hard to be kind when we're hurting or angry. It's therefore empowering to practice loving-kindness not in spite of feeling hurt but because of it.

tinybuddha.com

Cheers!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

More from that site -

We live in a very critical world. Sadly, people are quick to criticize, and they are reluctant to offer praise. Given the harshness of our world, it’s no small wonder that so many people lack confidence in themselves.

Kind people are our only hope to fight the world’s negativity. That is because kind people encourage others. They are the type of people who go out of their way to comment when someone does something well. And they readily point out others’ gifts and talents.

But realize that encouraging others is something that we have to intentionally choose to do. For example, often a complimentary thought will float through my head. “Her hair looks great today.” Or “That was a terrific presentation.” But unless I catch myself, that idea will float out of my head just as quickly as it floated in! As a result, I try to make an effort to say those complimentary thoughts out loud whenever I can.

Realize that being an encourager has to be a conscious choice. Otherwise, those complimentary thoughts will just stay inside our brains. And the other person won’t benefit from those precious words of encouragement.

So choose to be kind by choosing complimenting over criticizing. Build others up instead of tearing them down. If you do, you’ll make the world a far more pleasant place to be for everyone.

If You Really Want to Change the World: 4 Ways to Be Kind - Tiny Buddha

Be kind because it is the easiest thing that you can do to make the world a better place. Here are four ways to do it.

tinybuddha.com

 

[Geoff-Allen]

The other day I saw this phrase on social media: “Spread kindness, not COVID-19.” And I started thinking about how kindness is contagious, which reminded me of a viral video I’ve always loved:

A skateboarding kid falls, and a construction worker helps him up. The kid then sees an elderly woman struggling with grocery bags and helps her carry them across the street. That woman then gives coins to a woman at a parking meter who’s rifling through her purse. And on and on it goes—one act of kindness rippling through the city as each person pays it forward to someone else.

I think we could all use a little extra love and kindness right now. We could all use a reminder that even when times are tough, people care. And that’s what really matters. Not that we have everything we want, but we have everything we need, because people are looking out for us.

And really, I think that’s that foundation of kindness: paying attention. Noticing when people are struggling, or when they’re in need of ear, or when they could use a little encouragement or motivation to keep moving forward. Noticing the good in people and acknowledging what we see.

In our easily distracted world, a little attention truly is the best gift we can give anyone, because we all want to feel seen, heard, valued, and understood. At the end of the day, even the hardest of challenges feel a lot easier when we know we’re not alone.

So below I’ve listed a handful of COVID-friendly ideas to practice mindful kindness and make someone smile. Tag, you’re it—pass the good vibes on!

How to Make Someone Smile: 10 Mindful Acts of Kindness - Tiny Buddha

I've come up with 10 COVID-friendly ideas to practice mindful kindness and make someone smile. Tag, you’re it—pass the good vibes on!

tinybuddha.com

 

[Geoff-Allen]

We live in a fast-paced world; we’re always on the go. We’re too worried about getting from Point A to Point B. Our brains are filled with thoughts and worries. We’re trying to stay two steps ahead of ourselves. Often this results in the failure to stop and do something nice for someone else.

I think what’s happened in the world today is that we see poverty, abuse, disease, war, hunger, bullying, and violence so often that it is overwhelming. We feel dispirited. What we must remember, no matter how distressing the news is, that we have the power to make a change. It starts with us understanding that because we are human we have been bestowed with the power to change the world with kindness.

What we need to remember is that when we offer kindness to strangers, we not only brighten their day, we brighten our own. When we express kindness to each other we establish or strengthen connections with each other. Sometimes it’s just a fabulous reminder of our humanness.

There Are a Gazillion Little Ways to Be Kind (and It Benefits You Too)

You can change someone's day or ever their life by taking the time to be kind. And it also benefits you. Not only does kindness decrease pain and anxiety, it also...

tinybuddha.com

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Whether we’re religious or not, we can all agree that the world could do with more kindness. Perhaps we can’t control the levels of suffering caused by war, poverty, price hikes, COVID, and political or social division, but we can do our part to alleviate this suffering by showing human kindness whenever possible.

We only need to look at recent examples of kindness to confirm the truth in this. People in the UK have been taking in Ukrainian refugees and contributing to food banks, even though the average person’s finances aren’t particularly buoyant right now.

Human kindness: why we need it more than ever

In today's divisive world, showing human kindness is more relevant than ever. From reduced anxiety to improved mood, discover five benefits of being kind.

www.happiness.com

All the best!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

The idea of purposefully trying to be nicer could make some of us cringe, as sometimes we may confuse ‘being nice’ with pretending to be polite or feigning interest for the sake of seeming acceptable. This ‘induced niceness’ may, in fact, get quite burdensome very quickly, as it requires additional effort on one’s behalf to seem something they’re not feeling genuinely.

However, in reality, nicer people are easier to be around, as they’re genuinely interested in what you think and do. Being nice translates into treating others as you may want to be treated, being empathic, anticipating and respecting others’ needs and feelings, and being kind.

How to be nicer: 9 ideas to be genuinely more friendly

Science says that being nicer can boost our physical health as well as psychological well-being. Add these nine ideas of how to be a nicer person into your life.

www.happiness.com

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Act With Kindness​

Being a nice person means acting with kindness, and research suggests that kindness can positively impact your brain. Individual acts of kindness trigger the release of oxytocin and endorphins and appear to foster the creation of new neural connections.

Being kind is a self-reinforcing habit. We crave the feel-good sensation of being kind, so one act of kindness can easily lead to another.

6 Ways to Become a Nicer Person

Being nice has a number of mental health benefits included reduced stress and better mood. Learn more about how you can become a nicer person.

www.verywellmind.com

 

[Geoff-Allen]

""Can we dedicate ourselves to others’ well-being if we cannot find the source of well-being inside ourselves? Can we help others if we don’t know how to help ourselves? Can we be peacemakers if we have no real inner peace? The Christian contemplative Thomas Merton suggests that we cannot:

He who attempts to act and do things for others and for the world without deepening his own self-understanding, freedom, integrity, and capacity to love, will not have anything to give to others. He will communicate to them only the contagion of his own obsessions, his aggressiveness, his ego-centered ambitions, his delusions about ends and means, and his doctrinaire prejudices and ideas.

Thus it seems that inner and outer work are two sides of the same undertaking. The inner work we do to become more wakeful and present can only benefit our relations with others, just as our relationships cannot help but show us where we have more work to do on ourselves.

John Welwood, Ordinary Magic: Everyday Life as Spiritual Path

 

[Geoff-Allen]

"Loving-kindness and compassion shine through the shutters in those moments when we spontaneously give aid or comfort to someone, not out of self-interest or thinking we might get something in return, but just because it seems the right thing to do. It may be something as simple as offering people a shoulder to cry on when they’re in pain or helping someone cross the street, or it may involve a longer-term commitment, like sitting by the bedside of someone ill or dying. We’ve all heard, too, of extreme instances in which someone, without even thinking about the risk to his or her life, jumps into a river to save a stranger who is drowning."

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom

 

[Geoff-Allen]

"The Buddha taught that we should practice helping others while cultivating deep concentration, compassion, and wisdom. He further taught that enlightenment is not a mystical, transcendent experience but an ongoing process, calling for intimacy and transparency; and that suffering diminishes when confusion and fear change into openness and strength."

Joan Halifax, The Lucky Dark