I was minded to consider the kindness of strangers today, in particular the people who stopped to help me when I had a car accident just before Christmas – the man crouching beside me while he telephoned for help, the young woman who whipped off her jumper and dressed me in it like a baby, and the witness who stopped and gave me his details…people whom I did not and will not ever know, who responded to the human urge to be compassionate and to care for someone who needed them.
The Prayer of Loving Kindness from the Buddhist tradition has been translated/interpreted in different ways but the basic tenet remains the same and echoes other religious and spiritual teachings.
If you can find the time, take a moment to consider these simple phrases:
To yourself: May I be well, May I be happy, May I be free from all suffering
To someone you know: May you be well, May you be happy, May you be free from all suffering
To someone you don’t know: May you be well, May you be happy, May you be free from all suffering
To someone you find ‘difficult’ or hard to get along with: May you be well, May you be happy, May you be free from all suffering…
I am so grateful for the loving kindness I experienced. I hope I would respond in a similar way if faced with such a situation.