Everyone appreciates kindness. A smile, a few friendly words, a show of concern when we're troubled or feeling unwell, an offer of help -- gestures of kindness like these brighten our day and ease whatever sadness we may feel in our hearts. And just as we appreciate other people being kind to us, others appreciate it when we are kind to them. But thought kindness is important, it doesn't always come easily: sometimes we are filled with anger, jealousy, or pride, and being kind is the last thing we feel like doing. Or we get so caught up in our work and responsibilities that we find no time to think of others.

Kathleen McDonald introduces two powerful methods for awakening the kind heart in us all. The first is the practice of the four immeasurable thoughts -- love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. The second method is thought transformation, a beautiful practice based on a short, eight-verse text that is an exemplary guide to living compassionately.

Awakening the Kind Heart: How to Meditate on Compassion, Kathleen MacDonald, Wisdom Publications, Paperback, 152 pages, $15.95

Kathleen McDonald (Sangye Khadro) was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun in 1974. She is a respected and inspiring teacher in the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, a worldwide organization of Buddhist teaching and meditation centers.

Preface		vii
	The Metta Sutta: The Buddha's Words on Loving-Kindness		xi
Section 1
	1.	It's Time 10 Change Your Mind	3
	2.	Immeasurable Love	19
	3.	Meditations on Loving-Kindness	39
	4.	Immeasurable Compassion	57
	5.	Meditations for Cultivating Compassion	79
	6.	Immeasurable Joy	91
	7.	Immeasurable Equanimity	103
Section 2
	An Exploration of The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation		117
	Notes		149
	Other Books about Loving-Kindness, Companion, and Thought Transformation		151
	About the Author		153