Gautama Buddha was a forest monk

Sakyamuni Buddha was a forest monk the the "forest tradition", following the sramana way of life, which involved abandoning conventional society and its religion. 

Buddhist literature sometimes seem to present the Buddha as a domesticated monastery-dwelling monk, and the forest dwelling was his pre-Enlightenment struggles, but Reginald Ray in his book Buddhist Saints in India, says there the portrayal of Buddha in the earliest scriptures show the Buddha as a forest monk.

In the earliest Buddhism, the Buddha is clearly depicted as a forest renunciate who has attained enlightenment in the jungle. Others join him there as his disciples, and he teaches them the forest way of life.

Thus we read that Guatama initially determined to become a wanderer, living in the open air, begging his food, and practicing meditation. Meditating in the forest he encountered Mara, defeated him, and attained enlightenment. After his enlightenment, he continued to live a forest-lifestyle: the Suttanipatta says he wandered about, lived in  the forest and dwelt alone, teaching the virtues of seclusion and solitude (viveka) to his disciples and being questioned by others on these virtues, Ray says.

"In fulfillment of his forest character, he dwells with no roof over his head and lives sometimes in specific forest locales, or upon particular mountains. In one verse, he is compared to a lion in a mountain cave. In his remote habitation, he does not abandon meditation, takes little food, and is restrained in speech."

"Moreover, abiding in the forest, he is available to teach the dharma to others. His supplicants, in order to see him and engage in his cult, know that he dwells in the forest and that they must go there to find him. On one occasion, King Bimbisara must climb Mount Pandava to see the Buddha."

"The dharma that the Buddha preaches to his renunciate disciples is, not surprisingly, one of forest renunciation, in which solitude and meditation are the essence and are not to be abandoned; and sleep is seen as an impediment [to meditation]."

Ray refers to the earliest strata of pali literature as contained in the Suttanipata, Dhammapada, Udana, Itivvttaka, Theragata, and Therigata. 

Loving Our Enemies

How can we love our enemies? Because we recognize that loving-kindness is alive in every heart.

We love the evil-minded because they need it most! “In many of them, the seeds of goodness may have died because warmth was lacking for its growth. It perished form coldness in a world without compassion,” Maha Ghosananda said.

This is how we can love our enemies, because we understand.

We do not take sides in partisan conflicts, but advocate non-partisan reconciliation without limit, because no one is excluded form the need of love.

Loving-kindness saw the whole world as one family, the Human Family. Human rights begin when each man becomes a brother and each woman becomes a sister” when we truly care for each other.

Loving-kindness is a very powerful energy. It radiates to all without distinction. It radiates to our loved ones, to those towards whom we are neutral, and to our enemies. There are no boundaries to loving-kindness. The Dharma is founded on loving kindness. The Buddha looked on the whole world with eyes of compassion, so our personal prayer for happiness is a pryare for the whole world: May the whole world be happy.

Compassion compels us to reach out to all living beings, including our so-called enemies, those people who upset or hurt us. Irrespective of what they do to you, if you remember that all beings like you are only trying to be happy, you will find it much easier to develop compassion towards them.

Usually our sense of compassion is limited and biased to “me” and “mine”. We extend such feelings only towards our family and friends or those who are helpful to us.

But true compassion is universal in scope. There are no boundaries to loving kindness. The Buddha looked on the whole world with eyes of compassion.

One of the emotions most disturbing our mental tranquility is hatred. The antidote is compassion.

Wisdom sees the oneness of all things. Compassion sees the multiplicity, the individuality, of all things.

We are here to help as much as we can, as many as we can, for as long as we can.

Compassion is an understanding heart.

Loving-kindness is like water flowing everywhere. It is a gift that we can give.

Loving-kindness is the only way to peace.

If we can change ourselves, we can change the world. This is the essence of Compassionate Listening: seeing the person next to you as a part of yourself.