Mindfulness is a quality that's always there. It's an illusion that there's a meditation and post-meditation period, which I always find amusing, because you're either mindful or you're not.
Richard GereRead
If you can see the terrorists as a relative who's dangerously sick and we have to give them medicine and the medicine is love and compassion. There's nothing better.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of compassion and love in addressing extremism and conflict.
Richard Gere suggests that viewing terrorists as individuals suffering from a deep illness rather than purely as enemies allows us to approach the situation with empathy. By treating them with love and compassion, which he likens to administering medicine, we can foster healing rather than perpetuating hatred and violence.
Themes
TerrorismLoveCompassionEmpathyHealing
In practice
Example use cases
During a peace-building conference, one might quote this to encourage a more compassionate viewpoint towards conflicting parties.
More from Richard Gere
All quotes βIn a situation like this, of course you identify with everyone who's suffering. (But we must also think about) the terrorists who are creating such horrible future lives for themselves because of the negativity of this karma. It's all of our jobs to keep our minds as expansive as possible. If you can see (the terrorists) as a relative who's dangerously sick and we have to give them medicine, and the medicine is love and compassion. There's nothing better.
Richard GereRead
Meditation is such a more substantial reality than what we normally take to be reality.
Richard GereRead
It's not enough to say that the Olympics is an athletic contest outside of politics, because it's not. The Chinese clearly are using the Olympics to recreate how they are viewed in the world and how they view themselves.
Richard GereRead
I've got a lot of opportunities, a lot of love in my life, a lot of things going for me. Still, it's not complete. I know this is not the whole thing. There's much more.
Richard GereRead
As custodians of the planet it is our responsibility to deal with all species with kindness, love, and compassion. That these animals suffer through human cruelty is beyond understanding. Please help to stop this madness.
Richard GereRead
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