The Practice of Loving Kindness: A Guide to Spiritual Fulfilment and Social Harmony

Through real-life stories and examples, Ruggiero shows how the principle of love of neighbor, present in the scriptures of practically every major religion, can be lived in daily encounters with others in school, in the workplace, at home, and in the community, leading to greater meaning in life and harmony in social relationships. Why does it so often take terrible circumstances to inspire loving kindness? How can that kindness be cultivated in more normal circumstances? What can be done to prevent the darker tendencies of human nature from paralyzing decency and virtue, and self-absorption from blinding us to others' needs?How can the desire to love be translated from a mere concept into concrete actions and directed, not just to those we admire or pity, but to all people? These questions are the focus of this book. Ruggiero calls for a return to selfless love to counteract the focus on self-love prevalent in recent decades. Publishers Weekly In a clear and straightforward manner, Ruggiero offers insights on intimacy, trust, forgiveness and social concern. He encourages compassionate and mindful practices that, if engaged by each of us, would be world changing. Richard M. Ryan Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry University of Rochester Hats off to Vincent Ruggiero for this captivating, uplifting, inspiring guide to a more loving and fulfilling life. David Myers Hope College Author of Intuition: Its Powers and Perils Your joy in life comes more from the love you give away than from the love you get. Sir John M. Templeton Anyone wanting to learn the 'how to' of practicing loving kindness in many different ways will want to read this book. It is written in a manner that makes it interesting as well as informative, extending beyond story-telling or proselytizing. Liguorian. …