Can Kindness Be Taught?

Dear His Holiness the Dalai Lama,

I'm preparing to write an article about kindness, and immediately thought of you. 

What comes to mind when you hear the word - Kindness?

Can kindness be taught? 

I am eternally grateful for your positive light. 

Respectfully,
Michael Kalish

Dear Michael Kalish,                             

I am Geshe Ngawang Sonam from the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on behalf of His Holiness. His Holiness has given various talks on compassion and loving kindness. In Buddhism, compassion means the thought of wanting to relieve others of their suffering while kindness means the wish to give them joy and happiness. They are two sides of the same coin. His Holiness has given lectures on compassion and there are various books on compassion that he has written. Please read from them so that you would have a wealth of knowledge to choose from. Kindness can be taught through education and by setting examples, starting with oneself. As everyone wants to be happy and not suffering, it's commonsensical to be kind to others. The experience that comes with the thought of compassion or kindness is always experienced by the one who has it, and it helps oneself first. His Holiness says we can use scientific evidence, common experience and common sense to support the need for compassion. I hope this short information will be the beginning to which you would add through your own research and reasoning. 

With warm wishes,
Geshe Ngawang Sonam
Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama 

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