be the change i want to see in the world

i did a meditation retreat in india and the most important thing I got out of it was the idea of compassion. People do hurtful things because they are lacking love in their lives. If we react in a loveless manner to them then we add to the lack of love and misery in their lives. If we react with love, compassion and kindness then we might be able to soften their misery.

while i was in India, so many foreigners are always fighting with rickshaw drivers over a few rupees. my friend just started giving these men, who often sleep in their rickshaws, a few extra rupees and a smile at the end of each ride. after i started doing this and, most importantly smiling and joking around with the drivers, I no longer had to fight with them because I headed off the situation with generosity. it changed everything for me.

It’s not always easy to respond with compassion but if you step back and take a deep breath, you’ll realise that but it’s always worth it. This is the change I want to be. :)

love & compassion

for the past 3 weeks i’ve spent 15 minutes everyday sitting quietly and contemplating simplicity. it seems like barely even worth mentioning but this small act has changed me and the way i move in the world and hopefully the footprint i leave behind me. simplicity. taking what you need rather than all that you want (I’ve always been a spectacular indulger). I started fasting one day a week, both for health reasons and for spiritual growth—being that change. Fasting has taught me that I don’t need to eat as much as I thought I did; that I won’t ‘die of hunger’ by going without a meal for a day, that restraining my desires is possible and healthy, and that it’s better to give than to take (I gave the meal I was would have normally taken to my roommate). Then, when I went to the fruit market to buy breakfast for the next day, I walked and gave my rickshaw fare to a hungry kid; I smiled all the way home.