KINDNESS: THE HIGHEST INTELLIGENCE!
THE WISDOM OF BUDDHA, DALAI LAMA, ALDOUS HUXLEY AND PLATO!
To be kind is more important than to be right. Many times, what people need is not a brilliant mind that speaks but a kind heart that listens.
Kindness is the highest form of intelligence.
Be kind when you can; and be kind when you cannot.
If you want to be happy, be kind; if you want others to be happy, be kind.
Be kind more than necessary, for everyone is fighting some tough battle.
In the end, only KINDNESS matters…
Three Zen Stories: How Kindness effects Change in People
The beloved Japanese Zen poet Ryokan filled his life with the spirit of ordinariness and transformed those whom he touched. It is told that Ryokan never preached to or reprimanded anyone. Once his brother asked Ryokan to visit his house and speak to his delinquent son. Ryokan came but did not say a word of admonition to the boy. He stayed overnight and prepared to leave the next morning. As the wayward nephew was lacing Ryokan’s straw sandals, he felt a drop of warm water. Glancing up, he saw Ryokan looking down at him, his eyes full of tears. Ryokan then returned home, and the nephew changed for the better. (cited in Kornfield, 1993, p. 320)
When Bankei held his seclusion weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the pupil be expelled. Bankei ignored the request.
Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter. This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave.
When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. “You are wise brothers,” he told them. “You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave.”
A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal had vanished. (cited in Reps, 1958, pp. 60-61).
Many students were studying meditation under the Zen master Sengai. One of them used to arise at night, climb over the temple wall, and go to town on a pleasure jaunt.
When the wanderer returned, not knowing that Sengai was the stool, he put his feet on the master’s head and jumped down into the grounds. Discovering what he had done, he was aghast.
Sengai said: “It is very chilly in the early morning. Do be careful not to catch cold yourself.”
The pupil never went out at night again. (cited in Reps, 1958, pp. 101-102)
Grace Notes. The above three stories have a common denominator: the practice of kindness in effecting the behavioral change. The change produced in the behavior of the pupils is complete and lasting. An impartial observation of human conduct will show that force and harsh criticism are seldom the best means to change people. In wake of criticism, people become defensive and obstinate. Whereas the alchemy of kindness has a quality that seems to address the deeper recesses of human psyche. Aldous Huxley once said, ”After fifty years of study and research about human nature, it is almost embarrassing that the only advice I have for my fellow human beings is to be little bit more kind to each other.”
Recent Comments