Living Kindness

Book excerpt: "Living Kindness: Buddhist Teachings for a Troubled World" is an exploration of love, compassion, joy, and equanimity, the so-called "Brahmaviharas" or Divine Abodes. Combining a close reading of several suttas from the Pali Canon with personal reflections on trying to fulfill the Buddha's challenge to be free from ill-will, the book is at once intimate and far-reaching in its scope. "'In Living Kindness: Buddhist Teachings for a Troubled World, ' Kevin Griffin offers a clear and well-sourced reflection of the classical Buddhist teaching on loving-kindness practice. Skillfully contextualizing these teachings for our current time, Kevin shows that the teachings are as alive and relevant today as they were when they were first taught 2,600 years ago. Kevin has written an exceptional book, one that could serve equally well as a starting point for understanding the Buddhist teaching on kindness or to deepen your understanding in an already established meditation practice." Sharon Salzberg, author of "Real Happiness" and "Real Love." "Kevin has written a practical and accessible guide on how to take loving-kindness and transform it from an idea, into something we can truly live with and live by. This is a great support for practitioners in negotiating their experience of living in this world." Ajahn Pasanno, abbot Abhayagiri Monastery, and author of "Abundant, Exalted, Immeasurable." "'Living Kindness' is a liberating book, both for the intellect and the heart. Kevin Griffin is grounded in a deep understanding of what the Buddha taught, and he makes those teachings come alive with his personal stories and insights. 'Living Kindness' is not just a guide to the spiritual path; it is also a companion." Wes Nisker, author and Buddhist teacher. "Living Kindness is a delightful, inspiring, and profound book on one of the primary forms of love taught by the Buddha. Kevin Griffin's decades of living with these teachings come through in these honest and insightful reflections." Gil Fronsdal, author of "The Buddha before Buddhism: Wisdom from the Early Teachings"