Kindness: Foundation of the Spiritual Life

Each human being is a medium through which God’s magnetism flows. Do not obstruct that power through unkindness. To grow closer to God, you must be kind and loving to all. Those who fill their hearts with unkindness can never learn to love God. Love of God is drowned out when unkindness vibrates in the body temple.

Unkind words, spoken in a fit of emotion, are like a conflagration spreading over the forest of friendship, burning up all the green plants of courteous dealings and sympathetic thoughts.  Banish unkind words forever, and protect your life from the invasion of trouble and sudden partings.

Heartfelt kindness is liberating. When you experience deep kindness in your heart, you are at peace inwardly and see everything as part of God. You accept all things without judgment, and look with kindness and sympathy on everyone, no matter how wrong. Always be kind to others so that you may learn the art of being kind to yourself.

How to overcome unkindness

If you are suffering from the indigestion of unkindness, drink the medicine of sweetness. If you make up your mind to change, start by speaking sincere, kind words to those to whom you have been unjustly harsh. Make yourself attractive by wearing the fine garment of genuine courteous language. In order to be kind, it is not necessary to agree about everything, but if you do disagree, always remain calm and courteous. It is human weakness to get angry and scold, but it shows divine strength to be able to hold the reins over the wild steeds of your temper and speech. No matter what the provocation may be, by calm silence, or by genuine kind words, show that your kindness is more powerful than the other person’s ugliness.

Two essentials in human interaction are courtesy and respect. These qualities, like lubricating oil, keep the machinery of human relations running smoothly. Self-righteous or angry confrontation always leaves a residue of negative vibrations, even when the motives are sound, and even when the displeasure is justified.

Never brandish your feelings emotionally, but try to be charitable. Charity is God’s way. If you find yourself in disagreement with someone, then be as much concerned for that person’s feelings as for your own. Reflect that others, too, are probably only doing their best, according to their own understanding. With a little kindness on your part, you may find it possible to reach some sort of accommodation.

Practice kindness in family relationships

True family happiness has its foundation on the altar of understanding and kind words. When you learn to be courteous to your immediate relatives, you will then be habitually kind to all people.

Remember, marriage is a laboratory in which the prisons of selfishness, bad temper, and bad behavior must be changed by the power of love, kindness, and continuous good behavior. It has been said that a man wants a woman – until he is sure of her. One wife said to her indifferent husband, “Dear, why is it that you brought me candies and flowers and showered me with attention before our marriage, and now you don’t give me anything?”

The husband, with a cigar in his mouth, looked at his wife coldly and replied, “Why, don’t you know! Who do you think is crazy enough to feed the fish after catching it?”

The above is a very bad philosophy, for the indifferent husband chills the warm affection of the wife and the inattentive wife makes the husband callous. Courtesy in remembering birthdays and other important days, and reviving old reminiscences of affection, must be continued throughout life. A small flower tinged with affection, or a word fragrant with kindness, can do much to patch up old wounds. Put on your best dress suit of kindness and proper behaviorism with your mate and children first. Practice kindness at home first and you will win everybody by your magnetic aura of kindness.

Parents and children should always avoid undue familiarity. They should base their relationship upon kindness and love, not upon force or authority. True unselfish love is developed at the altar of family love. If parents understand that their relationship with their children is not fortuitous, but is due to a divine plan, they will, by their kindness, help divine love grow and expand in their children’s hearts during their earthly training.

Be a cosmic friend

Only a kind, wise, and perfectly poised person is in a position to tell others their faults. Such a person does not cruelly judge and punish his brother but criticizes, if necessary, only with love. Sincere kind words, spoken with love, have dispelled many sorrows and uplifted many hearts with the light of lasting joy. The willingness to face the truth about oneself softens the heart and fills it eventually with kindness toward all.

Making others happy through kindness of speech and sincerity of right advice is a sign of true greatness. Kind words are nectar to thirsty souls. Give kindness and love, and kindness and love will be returned to you. Be a cosmic friend, imbued with kindness and affection for all of God’s creation, scattering love everywhere.

A kind feeling in the heart

Vibrations of thought are so powerful that if you live in the same building with persons who have wrong thoughts, they will affect you if you are not powerful enough to protect yourself. Some people vibrate nervousness. Some people have no will, and the minute you meet them, you sense that they are spineless. Some people vibrate kindness and, if you are sensitive enough, you love them immediately. Such vibrations are eternal and leave permanent marks in you.

In relation to people, how do you know whether you are getting good or bad vibrations from them? Your ability to judge vibrations depends on the feeling in your heart. To be able to recognize vibrational differences, you must at all times keep a very kind feeling in your heart—a feeling that is absolutely unprejudiced. A kind feeling can judge vibrations better than all the intelligence in the world.

God’s loving kindness

When Jesus said, “Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me,” he teaches us that the human father’s kindness is a reflection of the Heavenly Father’s kindness. People seldom realize how often God heeds their prayers. He is not partial to a few, but listens to everyone who approaches Him trustingly. You must have implicit faith in the loving kindness of your Omnipresent Father. If your thoughts are of God, if they are kind, serviceful, and spiritually expansive, He will uplift you in his love and joy.

The yogic ideal is to practice meditation and to lead a life of self-discipline, service, and active kindness to all. Your body is the temple of the living God. That is why you must purify your body and mind by right living and kind thoughts. With every meditation, and with every kindness and good action, the divine consciousness will permeate your being, and you will know that God is always with you.