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Vipassana/Theravada Buddhism
L.M.: Because he is truly finding love in himself?
B.G.: Yes.
L.M.: Before then, he isn't finding it?
B.G.: Before that, if he is loving, he has love only for himself, but it is very superficial. It is not established in wisdom. No one can practice lovingkindness unless the person is wise. One has to be very wise to practice lovingkindness, or metta. Because it is the wise person who can understand, and have sympathy for his own suffering and the suffering of others. He realizes the importance of the practice of loving-kindness. Other people who are not that wise may not cultivate loving-kindness.
Wisdom is not something that we learn from books or education. We may have all kinds of higher knowledge. Sometimes a person can even become like an encyclopedia. He can present facts at his finger tips at any given moment. But when it comes to wisdom, or loving-kindness, he may be very poor. In spite of his knowledge, he has not cultivated the wisdom to see the suffering of all living beings.
Once you understand the suffering of all living beings, then you understand reality. If I do something to hurt myself, I feel pain. And if someone else does something to hurt me, I also feel pain. So everybody is like that—is like myself. Therefore it is foolish for me to hurt someone. We see the depth of pain and suffering through vipassana meditation.
Then one learns to live peacefully, and to create a peaceful environment around him. People will also emulate him. When one is a very peaceful person, then he is very friendly with others. He is full of love, compassion, and understanding. The person will appreciate the ups and downs and the weaknesses of others. Also, due to his wholesome state of being, that person will enjoy good health-good physical health, as well as psychological health.
L.M.: It comes from within oneself rather than from outside.
B.G.: You know we always say that we cannot give others what we don't have, whether it is material or spiritual. Sometimes you may borrow material things. For example, we borrow money from a bank to help somebody, and later we pay it back. But you cannot do that with spiritual things. You have to
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