Practice is one of the ways we repay our debts to all the people who've made it possible for us to practice here.

"As for being kind to others, again it’s good to look at the issue in terms of karma. If you can get them to do skillful things, that’s the kindest thing you can do for them. In some cases, you can’t tell people or recommend to people what to do. Say they’re your parents: You have a debt to your parents, but they’re the hardest people in the world to teach, the least likely to want to listen to your teachings. But you can be a good example, and that’s the way you repay your debt to them.

In fact, the practice is one of the ways we repay our debts to all the people who’ve made it possible for us to practice here. Think of all the people who gave so that this building could be built, so that there would be food every morning. We have shelter here. All kinds of good things. Everything down to the pipes underground. For years we had to collect money for the water mains and people kept saying “When are we going to see something built with this money?” We replied, “Well, all the money is going underground, going into pipes, all the infrastructure down under there.” There are a lot of things that make it possible for us to be here that we don’t see. It’s good to think about them and also to think about the fact that it was all given. It all came from somebody’s generosity. How do we repay that generosity? By practicing, by being a good example."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Kindness in the Light of Karma"

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