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Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Books

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“We should practice metta in all these activities. Anger, resentment or disappointment can arise at any time over the course of the day. We risk perpetuating our confused way of relating to others if we do not also make loving-friendliness a habit in all our counters with others, even in the stories we tell ourselves about them.”

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Book:Loving-Kindness in Plain English: The Practice of Metta
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“We'll find that practicing metta changes our behavior at every level. Of course we can only do our own personal practice of metta, just as other people must do their own practice. And when we do so our mental patterns change over time. These thoughts are transformed into our speech and actions, which in turn affect other people.”

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“Our habitual tendency is to look past all the good things others have done for us and to instead focus on and replay every real or imagined slight. Finding time in your life to actively cultivate gratefulness is an important part of the practice of loving-kindness. Gratefulness softens your heart and helps reduce your anger and gratefulness seeds the soil to allow loving kindness to grow naturally into joy and peace.”

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“When you look around at your community, you may feel some disappointment, worry or apprehension at the state of affairs. You see so much suffering - neighbors arguing, countries fighting, and children being neglected. Merely wishing for everyone to experience divine life on earth will not bring it about. However, we have the capacity to make this world heaven, behinning with how we interact in the world. This is called divinely living - to carry loving-friendliness in our hearts rather than ill will. Just as we can make hell on earth, meeta practice can make heaven on earth.”

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“How about your compassion toward somebody full of hatred? If you are so full of loving friendliness, shouldn't you help that person?" But for all of us who are not enlightended, we must honestly and mindfully assess how much we could help. Our capacity is limited. As an unenlightened person, you have your own limitations. When you hit the edge of your limitation, you yourself may get very nervous, very tense, uptight and rigid. Eventually, you may be very much like that angry person.”

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