I am inspired to write about watering the seeds of happiness, joy, and love. And I know no one who writes more clearly and profoundly about that practice of appreciation and support as Thich Nhat Hanh.
“Whether we have happiness or not depends on the seeds in our consciousness. If our seeds of compassion, understanding, and love are strong, those qualities will be able to manifest in us. If the seeds of anger, hostility, and sadness in us are strong, then we will experience much suffering. To understand someone, we have to be aware of the quality of the seeds in his store consciousness. And we need to remember that he is not solely responsible for those seeds. His ancestors, parents, and society are co-responsible for the quality of the seeds in his consciousness. When we understand this, we are able to feel compassion for that person. With understanding and love, we will know how to water our own beautiful seeds and those of others, and we will recognize seeds of suffering and find ways to transform them…”
“If we feel that there is someone whom we cannot help, it is only because we have not yet looked deeply enough into his or her circumstances. Everyone has some seeds of happiness. In some people they are weak, while in others they are strong. You might be the first person in many years to touch your friend’s seeds of happiness. Helpfulness lies in our ability to see and to water those wholesome seeds. If we only see greed, anger, and pride, we have not yet looked deeply enough.” (Understanding Our Mind, Parallax Press, 2006, p-45-46)
Wow. I feel so touched. I feel inspired to think of the one thing I can do today to water the seeds of joy, happiness, and love in my friend. And to think of one thing I can do today to water the seeds of trust, mattering, and appreciation in myself.
What is the one thing you can do today to water your own seeds of belonging, inclusion, and harmony in you and in your friend? What can you do today to strengthen the positive seeds and contribute to a better world?
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