What does it mean to love one's enemies?

Question

Does it mean to simply do good, regardless of what you feel? If the answer is yes, then what in the world does it mean to do good to an enemy whose unwillingness to face a past offense that is tantamount to living an evil-hearted lie?

How is one to hate what is evil and cling to what is good while at the same time loving one's enemy?

Answer 1

I have spent many years working on my principles and attuning them as much as i can to myself and the world through practice, learning and living. My principles inevitably have become life loving. So-here goes. There is nothing i would ever do to break my principles unless i were reforming them through some new insight. I have lost friends because i have clung to principles sometimes and i guess that makes me harsh and judgmental but if your principle calls for absolute non violence and high respect when you see a friend go wrong and they will not, cannot listen to the wrong of it then sometimes its best to follow your principles out of respect for their choices. Some might call this abandonment and maybe it is and i'm self dilluding myself to justify it, but i believe its when you respect your friend enough to leave them to their own devices, no matter how ill advised. Letting go can sometimes be a noble and loving act. Regarding what i'd sacrifice FOR my principles in order to love an enemy, i would sacrifice my family and friends if i believed it was right but not if the suffering of them outweighed the suffering of carrying out the principle because my highest principle is kindness i think. But if you form your principles around your loved ones sometimes you can sacrifice too much of yourself for the "idea" of love. Then its not "you" relating to them but the facsimile adjusted "interrelating" you. To stick to your principles makes you unique and strong and distinct and beautiful. But dont make difference a crusade of self proclamation.
How do i regard my enemies, here's a true story to display my belief. I was attacked some years ago in Dublin by a gang, they didn't go for wallet or anything and it was serious-kicks to the head, cat scan dislocated jaw, damaged nose cartiledge. Anyway-the more important thing was-while i was being attacked i felt an instinct to attack back and i'm sure i'd do ok, i'm a pretty strong guy. But a serenity in me welled up and i refused to hurt another human being. I sat there on the bank of the river and took the beating and every time i raised my head to take another and another and another. One asked "what the f*cks wrong with you?" and i just smiled and said "i dont want to hurt you". After one or two more kicks one of the gang pulled the others off me and another pulled me up to see if i was ok. You could see they absolutely respected my non violent defiance. Perhaps it was wreckless and silly of me not to defend myself but i think i would rather die than become something i know i am not and something i never want to be. I would die anyway if i took to violence-in my heart and soul. But they too are human, evil is only twisted love and the fact of their hatred only poved that some hurt must have been done for them to be like this and in this idea i found love for my enemy. Living in rowdy Ireland i've gained a reputation for breaking up fights without hitting a single person and taking a few knocks but for me i will take the pain that drives one human to lash at another until they themselves see that it is a human being they're hitting and see sense and kindness. They wrongly feel shame at which i tell them its ok-we all lose it sometimes. This was the key moment in my life when i knew i would sacrifice my life for what i believe in but subsequently i have learned an even greater lesson-to LIVE your life for what i believe in. That my dear friend is the greater challenge, maybe the greatest.

Answer 2

The answer is to love the sinner and hate the sin. You can make the detachment with practice. Forgiveness is also the key if the person you are speaking of has wronged you. You cannot put conditions on love or forgiveness (i,e I will love or forgive you if you try to be a better person.) Love and forgiveness are unconditional and you must be able to think in terms of (I will love or forgive you even if you remain a monster.) You don't have to like your enemy, but Love is a different matter all together. It takes practice, I recomend you read about it and study the subject further.

Answer 3

love for all mankind does not mean you are best friends with all of mankind.

Love your enemy - means to do them no harm- don't go out of your way to be mean to them but you should go out of your way to genuinely be nice to them. Once you see that your enemy is a person too then they become easier to love.

You can dislike what a person does but still love that person. Think back to a time when your mom or dad was mad enough to yell at you. They did not like what you were doing but they still loved you. Same thing with our neighbors and enemies.
There are different levels of love so YES it is possible.

You are only responsible for you so using your " enemies " unwillingness to face their past and make amends has nothing to do with whether or not you forgive and move on. We cannot make other people act the way we want them to nor can we make them like us or love us. We can only take responsibility for our own actions and how we treat each other.

Answer 4

If you are focused on some one in a negative way then you may take on those negative traits. Don't get caught up in proving ones evil traits, as hard as you can except them for who they are and move on. You will be dragged down to their level and will not be the good person you claim to be. Most people do not see what it is they are doing wrong or even believe they are anything like that. They will not accept the responsibility for their actions and may find away to blame you. That is why it is best not to get caught up in the evil men do. Do not hate evil understand that it exists. If you continue to be on a good path it has less of a chance of affecting you. Evil is stronger if you fight it on it's own terms. Be on good terms with everyone does not mean trust in them all.

Answer 5

It may not be your duty to call his attention to the offense. You can know if it is when you are in a space of complete love for that person and the wisdom necessary for their elevation comes forth from divine inspiration from within. Be careful, though, because its very easy to have an agenda that gets in the way. Its better to let the 'enemy' come to his own realization and just stay out of the way.

Hate the sin, not the sinner. The offender is the same spiritually as you, he/she is just in ignorance right now.

Answer 6

Kind of a paradox isn't it. Loving your enemy doesn't mean you have to trust them or approve of what they do. The underlying principal is you only have enemies by their choice, and not yours. It is a premise to watch out for those you wish to harm you, but accept them if they choose to change. As far as hating evil, keep in mind evil is an action, not a person.

Answer 7

To love one's enemies means to have compassion towards their sickness. You can still hate evil, but realize at the same time that evil is a sickness of the soul. It's holding this paradox in your mind that will balance you.

Answer 8

Well I think you might have taken this out of context. It means that you shouldn't harbor any resentments against your enemy. Resentments will eat you up. It's best just to learn your lesson and move on. It doesn't mean you're supposed to hug and kiss and continue to let someone step on you. You just need to forgive them for the past offense and move on with your life.

Answer 9

It means to love your brother human being as a whole.
Just as Jesus said: if you only love those who love you...what is the virtue (what have you gained) Is it not that even sinners love those that love them?

It is a difficult thing to do, specially in the light of the violent and retaliatory impulses that our EGO imposes on us. But is the only way to achieve peace of heart and true union with God: To empty yourself.

Answer 10

Well you must ahve heard about " Keep Your friends Close, Enimies CLOSER" so that you can be up in the game if tomor they plan to do something yuo would know faster and act accordingly let me know if this is what yuo were looking for
TC