My trust is a gift ~ 17th Karmapa

In my life, I have had some mixed experiences when it comes to placing my trust in others. On various occasions, the kind of treatment or behavior that I expected from others was not forthcoming, and this has led me to think a good deal about what trust means to me. What I have come to feel is that, first of all, I do not want to make my trust of others contingent on their meeting my expectations of them. I do not want trust to become a bargain or exchange, like two parties entering into a contract: “You place your trust in me, and so I will place my trust in you. As long as you behave this way, I will continue to trust you.” Instead, my trust is a gift that I wish to offer freely.


17th Karmapa

from the book The Heart Is Noble: Changing the World from the Inside Out

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