March 15, 2021 There is this very human experience that we all have on one level or another of anger and resentment. Even just for a moment reflect on how many enemies you have? How many people do you hate?

I know, you're nice spiritual Buddhist folks and you pretend like you don't hate anybody, but really, who's on the list? How many people are you like, “you know what? **** all of those people!” And they kind of live with free rent in our heads…

We’ve got all of the resentments that we're carrying around, and whether those are about people that you have harmed or have harmed us in some way or another, or it’s the bigger politicians, you know other people with different perspectives; people who we think are completely ignorant and confused in whatever way. There's that kind of judgment, anger, fear, spite, ill will.

The Buddha's teaching is that nothing is worth suffering about – including and probably especially – suffering at confused people.

Even though it's totally normal, the mind all by itself without any help from us says, “I'm right. They’re wrong. How dare they? How could anybody believe that? Or believe this? Or say this?” It’s natural for this self-centered, resentment making machine that is our brain.

But then, we suffer enough that we come to the Dharma, and the Dharma offers us this radical proposal, “how would you like to not suffer? How would you like to be free from suffering?”

And then, we have to start taking stock at all of the ways that we suffer.

There's lots of different ways to talk about the Dharma, but I like this simple way…I'm going to propose that the solution to whatever you're suffering about, is kindness. That actually, if we can develop a kind relationship with whatever we're suffering about, whether it's that you're attached to something and that's why you're suffering – because you're clinging and you're attached – the kindest thing to do is let go.

Right?

Non-attachment as an act of kindness. Stop clinging.

Easier said than done.

And that's what we're training for, that's what we're meditating towards, “can I be less and less attached, can I create less and less suffering?”

When we’re suffering about anger, resentment, fear, judgement; the kindest thing to do is to forgive, is to have compassion, is to accept.

Kindness is the solution.

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