The topic for the fourth week of in-place retreat is the deliberate extension of compassion toward someone whom you dislike or who elicits envy or jealousy. Examine in some detail the source of feeling. Perhaps it's a fear of injustice, a perceived threat to your ego or existence ... whatever. Don't judge it; just examine it. And then meditate briefly specifically dedicating the merit of that meditation for the well being of the one you are finding difficult. Do this daily, specifically, at least for 5 minutes.

A short note from a participant in last week's focus.

On a couple of different occasions when I wanted to be a bit snarky with some cleverness, I found myself trying to convince myself by means of  rationalization that I wasn't really trying to be snarky, that somehow what I wanted to do was "helpful." This is not quite what I expected as a lying related thing, and yet in a way I was trying to deceive myself about the character of something that I wanted to do, so I could proceed. Interesting to see my mind at work that way.