Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Labels That's what I try to teach my kids: even people they hate are humans. Even them. We have to try to understand each other. We don't have to agree, but we have to understand our shared humanity and find our best way forward. Start from kindness. Start from caring. Start from sincerity. Start from within.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Labels But but but . . . He's cruel! She's destructive! They bully! I was harmed! It's so hard to see the Other Guy™ as human, rather than as a symbol of guilt or anger or sadness or despair or cruelty or greed or selfishness. But I must.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Labels Be whatever you want, but be human first.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), The Peaceful Revolution Peaceful. But he embarrassed me.  Peaceful. But she hurt me. Peaceful. But they injured me. Peaceful. But they brokr our stuff. Peaceful. But they burned the house. Peaceful. But they killed people. Peaceful. But they killed us. Peaceful. Where and how to find the peaceful path through pain and destruction is the work of eternity. Always situational. Always urgent. Always important. Always fraught. Always dangerous. Always worth it.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), The Thousand Arms of the Bodhisattva There are many ways to express compassion. If I try to be compassionate, but do so only within my preferred idiom, I will either miss opportunities or bungle them, offering somthing unneeded while ignoring paths which would let me touch them more deeply, more kindly, more effectively.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Heroism Compassion doesn't mean foolish. Peaceful doesn't mean victim. Gentle doesn't mean weak. Compassion is connection. Peace is heroic. Gentle is strong. Especially in tense times.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Engaged Buddhism If I want peace, I must be peaceful.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Engaged Buddhism Embody what I want others to be. Show. Demonstrate. Lead them by doing it myself. Not to mention that it's easier to communicate effectively if I am calm and centered.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Engaged Buddhism If it's not in me, I can't give it to others. Man, do I need to work on my inner peace.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Seeds of Violence Humans are evil. Humans are good. Humans are. It's up to us, to me, to plant worthy crops.

Today's Meditation(s): The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh  (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Walking with Your Parents Now extend this beyond my loved ones, beyond my circle of immediate care, and find those who have hurt me , people who have done, are doing, things that thwart and puzzle and frustrate me. How can I love them?