love your frienemy

Normally my shower thoughts are not that interesting. I am either planning a scenario or reminiscing or daydreaming. Sometimes I do have a moment when I have insight. But mostly I can’t even tell that I am in the water.

I have been having a hard time the past few days. Nothing catastrophic, but I have been feeling like I need to defend myself. I’m sick of that mode of living - defending myself and protecting my ego. In the end, all my defensive actions and planning will fall apart. Valar morghulis

Love is not for your family and friends. That is too easy. It is basically hard-wired into our DNA to want to protect the members of our family and our tribe. Heroics come showering down like rain when we have to help those whom we identify with. The true test of being human is to love those who wish us harm.

I vow to love these people. I vow to remember that they are acting out of ignorance and fear and beneath this layer of harmful actions still pulses the genuine heart of Bodhicitta.

It isn’t going to be easy, but I think it is the next step in my personal evolution. “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” doesn’t apply only to the neighbors that like you or agree with you. It implies all of them.