Love Doesn't Discriminate
“Love doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints.”
-Lin Manuel-Miranda, Hamilton
In the summer of 2004, my friend and I spent a week with Thich Nhat Hanh in the Rocky Mountains trying to figure out what the plaque behind him read:
WE INTERARE
What DID it mean?
In Buddhism, interbeing includes everything: animals, plants, humans, minerals. Everything. Damage to one is damage to all. Healing to one is healing to all. This perspective is congruent with science. Einstein and Newton saw the same thing through a different lens.
Why does it matter?
When you think about it, truly experiencing interdependence makes loneliness impossible. The fact that we do feel lonely indicates that our being is unaware of interbeing.
Fortunately, Buddhism has an antidote. It involves following these steps:
Extend Love To
Yourself
People who matter deeply to you
Acquaintances or folks you barely know
People you struggle with or even hate
All beings.
After each step, stop. Breathe. Feel it.
We are all part of the same web, every person’s happiness is your happiness. Every person’s love is your love.
It is not an easy practice, but it has the potential to unlock the stubborn parts of ourselves that insist on being lonely.
Want to learn more? Here is an example of a lovingkindness practice you can try: https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-metta-for-a-troubled-time/
