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 broke 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 something 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?

The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Healing the Past Touch here, now, touch all here, all now. An interesting psychological twist: bring your loved one to mind, one left with unfinished business between you when they passed, and walk with them. Talk with them. Imagine their unhappiness at my unhappiness, at my stagnation regarding them and their passing. Imagine what they would say to me. See them, hear them. Listen to them tell me to move on and to forget about it. It's fine . It's fine. It's fine. It's over and they don't want my tears.