As you have heard, you do not really know how other people feel until you are in their shoes.

I did not realize how much my mother loved me before I was pregnant and gave birth to my own daughter.

Most mothers know the love, joyfulness, understanding, sacrifices and patience that come with being a mother. The love of a mother is so great that Metta Sutta, the Buddhist scripture on loving kindness, concerns the restraining of one's anger, hatred or negative attitude to harm others as if you were a mother risking her own life to protect her only child.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama also offers the message of the true love of a mother as the foundation of peace for the people of the world and for all sentient beings.

Peace is possible when compassion is realized in our heart and in our action. Most of us know that genuine altruism is doubtful. However, if we understand the basic Buddhist principle of inter-relatedness and interdependence, then it helps to be kind and respectful of other people, regardless of the differences in the color of the skin, language, accent, age, sex, social class, and religion.

The understanding of the interconnection of all beings helps us to see ourselves in others.

We do not need to ask for national origins before we can communicate with another person. We do not need to hurt the person because of his skin color or if she is not from our neighborhood. We do not feel that other people are below us if they are younger or have less money or social status.

With an understanding of the interconnection of all sentient beings, we can also extend our compassion to the natural world of plants and animals.

With the practice of compassion and loving kindness, non-violent attitudes and actions will arise.

Respect for all sentient beings will come naturally to us and suffering of all kinds will be reduced. Then we will be enjoying the bliss of life in our community, nation and the world.

In Dhammapada, the sayings of the Buddha, it is stated that: