Etymologically, kindness comes from the Latin 'benevolence', meaning to wish well, and it is so important to wish well. Wishing well is having a positive orientation of attention towards someone or something without judgment, it is wanting that person to be well, wanting that person to feel well, whether it is towards the people we live with, our children, our parents, towards all those around us, perhaps also for people we barely know, or even those we don't know.
It is truly a way of being deep within ourselves, kindness is a state of being that opens us up and allows us to feel the depth of the relationships we have with each other. Kindness is a quality that can be cultivated and creates bonds. It is recognizing the interdependence we have with others. Kindness is also something we can experience towards ourselves, because often we are our own worst enemies and judge ourselves very negatively. A little gentleness towards ourselves can change things considerably. This is what we will explore step by step in these different meditations around the central theme of kindness.
