The renowned Buddhist monk, Ajahn Brahmavamso, often talks about ‘ Kindfulness’ . It’s a word He invented. He has coined two words together:  
Kindness + Mindfulness = Kindfulness
Kindfulness is adding kindness to mindfulness.

Speaking of ‘ kindfulness’ , out of all the stories that Ajahn Brahm has said, the story of the cow that cried stands apart from all the rest. The following is the story. Out of the inmates of a prison close to Ajahn Brahm’s monastery, there was this prisoner who was given the task of stunning and killing cows. (Usually the inmates of that prison are given things to do which would help them in their lives once they come out of prison ) -The cows that were to be slaughtered would be lined up in a ramp and one by one they’d come forward to a slot where each of them couldn’t move. So this prisoner’s task would be to aim the gun at the cow; one shot to stun. One shot to kill. All the cows would be screaming and fighting for their lives. They were aware of their fate acutely. However, this one cow stood apart from all the rest. It seemed resigned. She came walking slowly up the ramp, with a fierce determination, and lifted her head. Her eyes locked with the prisoner’s eyes. The prisoner couldn’t move. All the while he was holding the gun. Then one of her eyes filled up with tears and eventually trickled down her face. The prisoner with the gun still couldn’t move. He was aiming the gun at her, but couldn’t pull the trigger. The cow’s eyes remained locked with the prisoner. Eventually, her other eye too started filling up, and the tears began rolling down her face. She was crying. The prisoner threw the gun and swore, “That cow is not dying.” And he ran to where he could find Ajahn Brahm and recounted his story.  

The Buddha has always advised to treat all beings with kindness. In a way, mindful kindness. If we analyse the above story: to be kind, we have to be mindful of the other person, or being. If the abovementioned prisoner had not been mindful and observed the tears trickling down the cow’s face, he would have probably just used the gun to destroy the innocent cow’s life. He wouldn’t have felt any kindness towards the cow. It was because he was fully mindful of the cow that the cow’s life was saved. This story goes to show how important it is to cultivate mindful kindness: In other words “Kindfulness” in all our daily interactions.  

The Buddha never made a rule about abstaining from consuming meat. He said that karmically, it is demeritorious to kill an animal for consumption. However, the act of consuming meat isn’t considered demeritorious in Theravada Buddhism. It’s like the deer who is killed by a lion. The lion kills the deer and consumes part of its meat and leaves the carcass. Afterwards, a vulture swoops down and consumes some more of the carcass that the lion killed. The deer’s death wasn’t caused by the vulture. This simile can be extended to the human world. However, when one considers the cow that cried, the story boils down to the fact that animals feel fear and cherish their lives, just like human beings. However, the Buddha didn’t say that consuming meat was a negative act. There is no bad karma in being the scavenger in Buddhism, but there is in being the hunter. The act of eating meat is separate from the act of killing, and you don’t necessarily have to kill to eat meat in the human world.  

The monastic community has to be easily supportable. (That’s one of the monastic rules). If a poor farmer has saved up and buys some meat to offer to a monk, then the monk can’t be picky. He won’t be easily supportable if so. Therefore, he has to accept what the farmer offers him, when the monk goes on his alms rounds.  

Ajahn Brahm recounts another story. A group of monks were meditating seated in a circle. Suddenly, a monk stares at the monk right opposite him. A little head pops up on top of one of the other monk’s shoulders. It’s a snake! The monk who’s being stared at, slowly turns his head towards the snake and their eyes lock (the snake’s and his) and they both start eyeballing each other. However, the monk very calmly slid his robe down with the snake’s head on it and the snake very gently slithered away.  

Devas or heavenly beings are not mere fiction. Once a group of monks were assigned by the Buddha to meditate in a forest. The monks went to the forest in order to meditate. However, the tree spirits were not happy and propelled fear in the monks and the monks fled the forest out of fear. When they recounted their story to the Buddha, the Buddha taught them the following sutta and asked them to recite it to the tree spirits. The monks did as told, and the tree spirits very happily allowed the monks to stay in their abode and peacefully meditate. The Sutta which the Buddha taught them goes as follows. This is famously known as the Karaneeyametta Sutta.  

“This is what should be done  
 By one who is skilled in goodness,  
And who knows the path of peace:  
 Let them be able and upright,  
Straightforward and gentle in speech,  
 Humble and not conceited,  
Contented and easily satisfied,  
 Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.  
Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,  
 Not proud or demanding in nature.  
Let them not do the slightest thing  
 That the wise would later reprove.  
Wishing: In gladness and in safety,  
 May all beings be at ease.  
Whatever living beings there may be;  
 Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,  
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,  
 The seen and the unseen,  
Those living near and far away,  
 Those born and to-be-born —  
May all beings be at ease!  
Let none deceive another,  
 Or despise any being in any state.  
Let none through anger or ill-will  
 Wish harm upon another.  
Even as a mother protects with her life  
 Her child, her only child,  
So with a boundless heart  
 Should one cherish all living beings;  
Radiating kindness over the entire world:  
 Spreading upwards to the skies,  
And downwards to the depths;  
 Outwards and unbounded,  
Freed from hatred and ill-will.  
 Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down  
Free from drowsiness,  
 One should sustain this recollection.  
This is said to be the sublime abiding.  
 By not holding to fixed views,  
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,  
 Being freed from all sense desires,  
Is not born again into this world. “  
Out of the whole sutta, what touches me most is the following:  
“Even as a mother protects with her life
 Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
 Should one cherish all living beings”
Ajahn Brahm always advises people to “Make Peace. Be Kind. Be Gentle.”

These are practices that can be cultivated as lay people. Speaking of these qualities, the story of the Buddha and the Nalagiri elephant comes to mind.  

Devadatta who wanted the Buddha killed, intoxicated the elephant Nalagiri. Having harassed the elephant to such an extent, he let Nalagiri loose on the path that the Buddha was walking with his other monks. Ananda (who was the Buddha’s first cousin and chief disciple) , went in front of the Buddha to protect the Buddha from the elephant who was in a furious rage. The Buddha came in front of Ananda and stopped and spread immense loving kindness towards Nalagiri. The elephant who was charging towards the Buddha slowed down gradually and calmed down to such an extent, that by the time he came to the Buddha he was kneeling down in worship to the Buddha.  

The above story goes to show the power of loving kindness. One might think that only a Buddha can have such loving kindness strong enough to tame a wild elephant. This is not so. Human beings are intelligent highly developed beings. The Buddha himself has often told that to be born a human being, one has to have cultivated immense good karma. In fact, out of all life forms, that of the human being stands supreme. We too can cultivate such goodness, such kindness and such love; towards all beings. We too can change our world for the better. Each person’s contribution is important. The Buddha made peace with the elephant. And as a result was able to make the elephant sober again. One need not wait to be born a Buddha in order to transform this world and its people for the better.  

Human kindness is twofold. The person who bestows the kindness as well as the person who receives it reaps its benefits- they are both made happy by it.   What Portia says in Shakespeare’s ‘Merchant of Venice’ about mercy is equally applicable to kindness.  

“The quality of mercy is not strained.  
 It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven  
 Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:  
 It blesseth him that gives and him that takes”  
Kindness is a quality we should all cultivate. It improves human relationships and helps to foster more peace and harmony in the world.
Wishing each of you a blessed Poya. With much Metta!