“The place to begin is at home—that is, with ourselves. Notice what is life-denying and resist it—just say ‘no’ for your sake and your children’s sake. Live with the moral authority that comes from compassion and non-violence. Form communities of people who will sustain you in living as you wish to live….” -Marilyn Sewell
Whose teachings inspire you to non-violence?
Our religious pluralism asks us to let go of certainty in how we experience the sacred, and instead embrace the understanding that many different ways of experiencing it are equally valid. Sometimes, this is a challenge.
How have you been challenged by practicing pluralism?
My daughter, when she is frustrated, often asks me to have “a conversation.” By this, she means that I should listen to her and agree with everything she says. Slowly, she is learning that real conversation is two ways. We both speak. We both listen. We both are challenged to experience the other fully. -Rev. Michael Tino (CLF)
Have a difficult conversation today.
As Buddhist teacher Thanissaro Bhikkhu explains, “Right speech, explained in negative terms, means avoiding four types of harmful speech: lies (words spoken with the intent of misrepresenting the truth); divisive speech (spoken with the intent of creating rifts between people); harsh speech (spoken with the intent of hurting another person’s feelings); and idle chatter (spoken with no purposeful intent at all).” Often phrased in the negative, but it can also be seen in a positive way. To practice Right Speech means to tell the truth, to speak warmly and gently, and to talk only when necessary
How is the practice of right speech connected to cultivating compassion?
“Let us have the courage to sit in the unknowing, to look for the answers even if they are to sit with our own questions, to be willing to be authentic with ourselves, to be ready to bring our face to the world.” -Katie Kandarian
How have you sat in the unknowing?
