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THE SACRED READINGS ARCHIVE


Subject: Lovingkindness

Cherag Hamid Cecil Touchon

From The Hindu Tradition; 

The Isha Upanishad 

"The Lord is enshrined in the hearts of all. The Lord is the supreme Reality... 

Those who see all creatures in themselves and themselves in all creatures know no fear. Those who see all creatures in themselves and themselves in all creatures know no grief. How can the multiplicity of life delude the one who sees its unity? 

From The Buddhist Tradition:

The 'Dhammapada' Chap. 1 'Twins' Verses 3-5 

' "He abused me,mistreated me, defeated me, robbed me." Harboring such thoughts keep hatred alive. "He abused me, mistreated me, defeated me, robbed me." Releasing such thoughts banishes hatred for all time. Animosity does not eradicate animosity. Only by loving kindness is animosity dissolved. This law is ancient and eternal." 

From The Buddha's sermon at Rajagaha;

"Do not deceive, do not despise each other anywhere. Do not be angry nor bear secret resentments; for as a mother will risk her life and watches over her child, so boundless be your love to all, so tender, kind and mild. Cherish good will right and left, early and late, and without hindrance, without stint, be free of hate and envy, while standing and walking and sitting down, what ever you have in mind, the rule of life that is always best is to be loving-kind. Gifts are great, founding temples is meritorious, meditations and religious exercises pacify the heart,comprehension of the truth leads to Nirvana, but greater than all is lovingkindness. As the light of the moon is 16 times stronger than the light of all the stars, so lovingkindness is 16 times more efficacious in liberating the heart than all other religious accomplishments taken together." 

From the Tradition of Taoism: 

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 79

"In reconciling a great injury there is sure to be injury left over [resentment, hurt] How can this be good? Therefore the sage holds the left tally [in other words, he keeps a mental note of what he owes to others rather than what others owe to him] he does not blame others. One who has te [goodness of nature] is in charge of the tally, one who has no te is in charge of the tax law. The Tao [harmony] of heaven has no partiality, it is always with the good people." [it favors those who accord themselves to it.] 

The Hebrew Scriptures: 

Psalms: 107 verse 23-38

And then there are the sailers sailing the seven seas, plying the trade routes of the world. They too, observe the power of God in action. He calls to the storm winds; the waves rise high. Their ships are tossed to the heavens and sink again to the depths; the sailors cringe in terror. They reel and stagger like drunkards and are at their wit's end. Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He saves them. He calms the storm and stills the waves. What a blessing is that stillness, as He brings them safely into harbor!Oh, that these men would praise the Lord for His lovingkindness and for all of his wonderful deeds! Let them praise Him publicly before the congregation, and before the leaders of the nation. 

He drys up rivers, and turns the good land of the wicked into deserts of salt. Again, He turns deserts into fertile, watered valleys. He brings the hungry to settle there and build their cities, to sow their fields and plant their vinyards, and reap their abundant crops! How he blesses them! They raise big families there and many cattle. 

From the Christian Tradition: 

New Testament 1 John 4 verses 7-12 ; 18-21 

'Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God. Everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God, but the unloving know nothing of God. For God is love; and his love was disclosed to us is this, that he sent his only son into the world to bring us life. The love I speak of is not our love for God, but the love he showed us in sending his Son as the remedy for the defilement of our sins. If God thus loved us, dear friends, we in turn are bound to love one another. Though God has never been seen by any man, God himself dwells in us if we love one another; his love is brought to perfection within us. 

...There is no room for fear in love; perfect love banishes fear. For fear brings with it the pains of judgment, and anyone who is afraid has not attained to love in its perfection. We love because he loved us first. But if a man says,'I love God', while hating his brother, he is a liar. If he does not love the brother whom he has seen, it cannot be that he loves God whom he has not seen. And indeed this command comes to us from Christ himself: that he who loves God must also love his brother. 

From the Tradition of Islam: 

Koran Sura 5 verse 16-18

Oh people of the Book! 
There hath come to you 
Our Apostle, revealing 
To you much that ye 
Used to hide in the Book, 
And passing over much 
(that is now unnecessary): 
There hath come to you 
From God a (new) light 
And a perspicuos Book,- 
Wherewith God Guideth all 
Who seek His good pleasure 
To ways of peace and safety, 
And leadeth them out 
Of darkness, by His Will, 
Unto the light,-- Guideth them 
To a Path that is Straight 

From The Gayan of Hazrat Inayat Khan:

The heart of man is a temple; when its door is closed to man, it is also closed to God.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

HINDUISM

The threefold offspring of Prajapati--gods, men, and demons--dwelt with their father Prajapati as students of sacred knowledge.

 Having lived the life of a student of sacred knowledge, the gods said, "Speak to us, sir." To them then he spoke this syllable, "Da." "Did you understand?" "We did understand," said they. "You said to us, 'Restrain yourselves (damyata).'" "Yes (Om)!" said he. "You did under- stand."

 So then the men said to him, "Speak to us, sir." To them he spoke this syllable, "Da." "Did you understand?" "We did understand," said they. "You said to us, 'Give (datta).'" "Yes (Om)!" said he. "You did understand."

 So then the demons said to him, "Speak to us, sir." To them he spoke this syllable, "Da." "Did you understand?" "We did understand," said they. "You said to us, 'Be compassionate (dayadhvam).'" "Yes (Om)!" said he. "You did understand."

 The same thing does the divine voice here, thunder, repeat, Da! Da! Da! that is, restrain yourselves, give, be compassionate. One should practice this same triad, self-restraint, giving, compassion. 
Hinduism. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.2.2: The Voice of Thunder

What sort of religion can it be without compassion?
You need to show compassion to all living beings.
Compassion is the root of all religious faiths. 
Hinduism. Basavanna, Vachana 247



BUDDHISM

The bhikkhu who abides in loving-kindness, who is pleased with the Buddha's teaching, attains to that state of peace and happiness, the stilling of conditioned things, Nibbana. Let him be cordial in all his ways and refined in conduct; filled thereby with joy, he will make an end of ill. 
Buddhism. Dhammapada 368, 376

Monks, whatsoever grounds there be for good works undertaken with a view to [favorable] rebirth, all of them are not worth one-sixteenth part of that goodwill which is the heart's release; goodwill alone, which is the heart's release, shines and burns and flashes forth in surpassing them. 
Buddhism. Itivuttaka 19

As a mother with her own life guards the life of her own child, let all-embracing embracing thoughts for all that lives be thine. 
Buddhism. Khuddaka Patha, Metta Sutta

The bodhisattva should adopt the same attitude towards all beings, his mind should be even towards all beings, he should not handle others with an uneven mind, but with a mind which is friendly, well-disposed, helpful, free from aversions avoiding harm and hurts, he should handle others as if they were his mother, father, son, or daughter. As a savior of all beings should a bodhisattva behave towards all beings. So should he train him- self if he wants to know full enlightenment. 
Buddhism. Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines 321-22


JUDAISM

The world stands upon three things: upon the Law, upon worship, and upon showing kindness. Judaism. Mishnah, Abot 1.2

Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai said, "Go forth and see which is the good way to which a man should cleave." Rabbi Eliezar said, "A good eye"; Rabbi Joshua said, "A good friend"; Rabbi Jose said, "A good neighbor"; Rabbi Simeon said, "One who foresees the fruit of an action"; Rabbi Elazar said, "A good heart." Thereupon he said to them, "I approve the words of Elazar ben Arach, rather than your words, for in his words yours are included." 
Judaism. Mishnah, Abot 2.13
 

Once, as Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai was coming forth from Jerusalem, Rabbi Joshua followed after him and beheld the Temple in ruins. "Woe unto us," Rabbi Joshua cried, "that this, the place where the iniquities of Israel were atoned for, is laid waste!"

 "My son," Rabbi Yohanan said to him, "be not grieved. We have another atonement as effective as this. And what is it? It is acts of loving-kindness, kindness, as it is said, 'For I desire mercy and not sacrifice' [Hosea 6.6]." 
Judaism. Talmud, Abot de Rabbi Nathan 6



CHRISTIANITY

Love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4.8

And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and the disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.'" 
Christianity. Matthew 9.10-13

Do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as you would a father; treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, all in purity. 
Christianity. 1 Timothy 5.1-2

A lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live."

 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half-dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go, and do likewise." 
Christianity. Luke 10.25-37: Parable of the Good Samaritan



ISLAM

Those who act kindly in this world will have kindness. Islam Qur'an 39.10

God enjoins justice, kindness, and charity to one's kindred, and forbids indecency, abomination, and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed. Islam. Qur'an 16.90

Anas and 'Abdullah reported God's Messenger as saying, "All [human] creatures are God's children, and those dearest to God are those who treat His children kindly." 
Islam. Hadith of Baihaqi

Treat people in such a way and live amongst them in such a manner that if you die they will weep over you; alive they crave for your company. Islam (Shiite). Nahjul Balagha, Saying 9

A man once asked the Prophet what was the best thing in Islam, and the latter replied, "It is to feed the hungry and to give the greeting of peace both to those one knows and to those one does not know." 
Islam. Hadith of Bukhari



TAOISM

He who can find no room for others lacks fellow feeling, and to him who lacks fellow feeling, all men are strangers. Taoism. Chuang Tzu 23

I have three treasures. Guard and keep them:
The first is deep love,
The second is frugality,
The third is not to dare to take the lead in the world.
Because of deep love, one is courageous.
Because of frugality, one is generous.
Because of not daring to take the lead in the world, one becomes the leader of the world.
Now, to be courageous by forsaking deep love,
To be generous by forsaking frugality,
And to take the lead in the world by forsaking following behind--
This is fatal.
For deep love helps one to win in case of attack,
And to be firm in the case of defense.
When Heaven is to save a person,
Heaven will protect him through deep love. 
Taoism. Tao Te Ching 67


OTHER TRADITIONS

Those who do not abandon mercy will not be abandoned by me. Shinto. Oracle of the Kami of Itsukushima

Even though it be the home of someone who has managed for long to avoid misfortune, we gods will not enter into the dwelling of a person with perverse disposition. Even though it be a dwelling where a man be in mourning for father and mother, if he be a man of compassion, we deities will enter in there. 
Shinto. Oracle of the Kami of Kasuga



Treat the aged of your own family in a manner befitting their venerable age and extend this treatment to the aged of other families; treat your own young in a manner befitting their tender age and extend this to the young of other families, and you can roll the empire on your palm. The Book of Songs says,

 He set an example for his consort
And also for his brothers,
And so ruled over the family and the state.

 In other words, all you have to do is take this very heart here and apply it to what is over there. Hence one who extends his bounty can bring peace to the Four Seas; one who does not cannot bring peace even to his own family. There is just one thing in which the Ancients greatly surpassed others, and that is the way they extended what they did. 
Confucianism. Mencius I.A.7



Gentle character it is which enables the rope of life to stay unbroken in one's hand. African Traditional Religions. Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria)

Mencius said, "'Benevolence' means 'man.' When these two are conjoined, the result is 'the Way.'" Mencius VII.B.16

Have benevolence towards all living beings, joy at the sight of the virtuous, compassion and sympathy for the afflicted, and tolerance towards the indolent and ill-behaved.  Jainism. Tattvarthasutra 7.11