The Dhammapada reads, “Hatred does not end by hatred; by non-hate alone does it end”. This saying is so pithy it seems indisputable, but what is meant by hatred, and what is meant by non-hatred? Most people who hear this phrase probably think of themselves as mostly without hatred, and yet what if the Pali word Dosa was translated differently? What if it was “hostility”, or “annoyance”, or “frustration”? Then perhaps we might begin to see this poison in ourselves and how it spreads in our culture. But how can we avoid these things? Perhaps we need to look more deeply at the roots of the issue.
Payton guided the Sangha’s discussion this week on the topic of Hatred and its end. We examined how the word “love” is often used in place of “non-hate” in the above quote, but how leaving it as “non-hate” opens up the possibility for many different responses.
Here’s the talk Payton played by Gil Fronsdal:
Burlington Buddhist Sangha 