Published Saturday, 18 November 2017
To harm living beings
who, like us, seek contentment,
is to bring harm to ourselves.Dhammapada v.131
When we become caught up in the fires of indignation and resentment, we easily lose perspective. Our training in mindfulness and restraint serves not just to protect ourselves from harm, but also to protect others. When the passions are raging it can require considerable effort to refrain from following impulses to cause harm; but when the fires have subsided we are grateful. Such gratitude helps us to be more restrained next time.