The Generosity of Respect

When we are working together and interacting with each other, it’s important for each of us in the community to have mutual respect for one another and to recognize that everybody is here because they have the intention to do something good, something wholesome. On the level of personality, it’s easy to exercise our critical faculties—we’re pretty adept at that. Especially when we live together over long periods of time, we get to know each others’ quirks rather intimately. It doesn’t take much intelligence or wisdom to pick up on somebody’s quirks. It takes significantly more wisdom to attend to our own wholesome intentions and to honor and respect the wholesome intentions of other people. This doesn’t mean that suddenly people are no longer irritating. But it does mean that we have a lot more space to deal with and support each other because we sense the opportunity for generosity—being generous by offering each other a sense of respect. We usually think of generosity in material terms, but it also means giving each other respect, space, encouragement, and support for our spiritual endeavors. That is a significant act of generosity that helps to transform the heart.

_This reflection by Ajahn Pasanno is from_[**_Beginning Our Day, Volume One_****_._**](/books/beginning-our-day-volume-one)