The saying on the October page of my Tibetan calendar (which I can’t turn over ’til I’ve written about it) is Radiate your loving-kindness to every living being without any discrimination – The Buddha.
For me, there is a lot to think about in sending loving energy out to the planet and all of us sentient beings who belong to it (stones, insects, thunderbolts, rainforests, persons). Everything is alive and full of energy, whether we can see that or not.
It feels good to meditate / muse on all that energy and all those sentient beings. But this Buddha statement always reminds me that I can love with out liking.
For instance, the Hawk who’s currently visiting has his part to play in the natural order, and I don’t interfere. But the fat cat who feels the need to hunt birds for sport is not welcome – and I definitely do interfere.
And then there’s the current administration in Washington, who have changed my country into unrecognizable territory. Loving-kindness is much harder work when it’s heading that direction.