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At a time when there is a great need for us to have a sense of practice in all the parts of our lives—our individual consciousness, relational life, and social engagement—we explore the powerful vision of integrating Buddhist practice and traditions of nonviolence; each has its strengths and weaknesses. We do so by pointing to the shared heart of Buddhist practice and the nonviolence of Martin Luther King, Jr.—identifying four main areas: (1) the “optimistic” view of the deep goodness of human nature, (2) the understanding of reactivity and “passing on the pain” as the roots of dukkha (or suffering) and violence; (3) the grounding in an ethics of non-harming and nonviolence; and (4) the centrality of lovingkindness (metta) and love that is ultimately extended to all.
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