How to lessen hatred towards others

In my earlier post, I mentioned that according to Buddhism, there are three evils that hinder one to achieve enlightenment. These include greed, hatred and delusion. In my last post, I suggest that we practise doing dana to lessen or get rid of greed.

In this post, I will discuss how to lessen hatred towards others. We hate others when they have done something to hurt us physically or mentally.

Let us think again in terms of reincarnation. The person who hurt you may be the one whom you hurt in your last life. Hence, we should not retaliate or the cycle will repeat. Instead, we try to forgive the one who hurt you bodily or mentally. In this way, you will not harbour hatred towards him anymore.

When you really cannot stop hating others, try to meditate or chant the name of the Buddha. By doing any of these, you will find that you will have peace of mind, including clearing your mind of the very thought of hating others.

Anohter way of getting rid of hatred is to practise loving all beings, including animals. If you are really sincere in your act, you will find that others will reciprocate as love is a two-way process, that is, love begets love.