Be a kind, warm-hearted person.

"I have chosen a few lines that I feel would be acceptable to people of all faiths and even to those with no spiritual belief. When reading these lines, if you are a religious practitioner, you can reflect upon the divine form that you worship. A Christian can think of Jesus or God, a Muslim can reflect upon Allah. Then, while reciting these verses, make the commitment to enhance your spiritual values. If you are not religious, you can reflect upon the fact that, fundamentally, all beings are equal to you in their wish for happiness and their desire to oversome suffering. Recognizing this, you make a pledge to develop a good heart. It is most important that we have a warm heart. As long as we are part of human society, it is very important to be a kind, warm-hearted person.

May the poor find wealth,
Those weak with sorrow find joy.
May the forlorn find new hope,
Constant happiness and prosperity.

May the frightened cease to be afraid,
And those bound be free.
May the weak find power,
And may their hearts join in friendship."

HH The Dalai Lamai
An Open Heart
Practising Compassion in Everyday Life

An Open Heart.

I'm reading this book by HH The Dalai Lama. I really like the book cover. I love the lines on The Dalai Lama's face - they represent (in my context), wisdom. His smile, happiness. His eyes, love & compassion.

So long as space remains,
So long as sentient beings remain,
I will remain,
In order to help, in order to serve,
In order to make my own contribution.

Compassion, Forgiveness, Self-Discipline, Brotherhood & Charity.

Quoted from His Holiness The Dalai Lama's relevant comments subsequent to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the US:

Who are these terrorists?
It is a mistake to refer to Muslim terrorists. I believe no religion endorses terrorism. The essence of all major religions is compassion, forgiveness, self-discipline, brotherhood and charity. All religions have the potential to strengthen human values and to develop general harmony. But individuals twist religious beliefs for their own ends. There are people who use religion as a cover to achieve their vested interests, so it would be wrong to blame their particular religion. Religious divisions have lately become dangerous once more, and yet pluralism, under which everybody is free to practise his or her own faith, is part of the fabric of contemporary society. Buddhism may be good for me, but I cannot insist that it will also be good for you or anybody else.

The beauty of Dalai Lama's teachings is that he thinks everyone is free to practise his or her own faith. There is no insistence. There is no right or wrong. I see and feel respect. At the end of the day, we all need to learn to respect each other's belief and allow differing opinions. Respect breeds harmony I think.

His words are very enlightening - at least to me. Compassion is a core value in his teachings - which is a very strong personal value in my life. In that we align. It is only with compassion and love that the world can be a better place.