I'm not religious, but I'm very much drawn to the idea of practicing compassion as described by Buddhism. I work hard to be non-judgmental and open-minded with everyone.
I say I work hard because it is hard work, though. The act of judging someone is like a snap reflex. For instance, even though I've lived abroad and have friends from all over the globe, my dad growing up would make casual racist remarks/jokes, and these are still in me. It pains me when my brain goes straight to these false, easy judgments.
But then I think of it like this: what happens in the confines of my own mind do not matter. What matters is how I react, then act, on them. And I can choose to act in a way that is non-judgmental and accepting.
And the truth is, acting a certain way ends up affecting your innermost thoughts. If you practice non-judgment and compassion, eventually your mind will follow suit when it tires of screaming silly judgments into the emptiness where you grant it an existence.
I'm not religious, but I'm very much drawn to the idea of practicing compassion as described by Buddhism. I work hard to be non-judgmental and open-minded with everyone.
I say I work hard because it is hard work, though. The act of judging someone is like a snap reflex. For instance, even though I've lived abroad and have friends from all over the globe, my dad growing up would make casual racist remarks/jokes, and these are still in me. It pains me when my brain goes straight to these false, easy judgments.
But then I think of it like this: what happens in the confines of my own mind do not matter. What matters is how I react, then act, on them. And I can choose to act in a way that is non-judgmental and accepting.
And the truth is, acting a certain way ends up affecting your innermost thoughts. If you practice non-judgment and compassion, eventually your mind will follow suit when it tires of screaming silly judgments into the emptiness where you grant it an existence.