Further Discussion on “Do Not Offer Help Unless Asked for”

Deiform Celestial

January 3, 2007

Born naturally, perish naturally. Wildflowers in the fields are nourished by sunlight and raindrops, birds in the forests find their own food, and wild animals running on the African plains follow their own rules for reproduction. Humans, as one of the natural species created by the Greatest Creator, can also grow on their own. Everything operates within the Tao (the consciousness of the Greatest Creator), which provides arrangements for protection and punishment.

From a microscopic perspective, it may seem chaotic, but from a macroscopic view, everything is orderly. It is this order that has allowed scientists to discover rules and create formulas that fit these rules. Without order, the sun would not rise from the east tomorrow.

Life has its trajectory; without it, rivers would overflow into the mountains and fields. Life follows the law of causality; otherwise, everyone would be born into royal or wealthy families. In the kingdom of bees, there is a natural division of labor; not all bees can become queen bees.

If one ignores the process, even the most well-intentioned person can end up neglecting some aspects. As the saying goes, “When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on any man, it will exercise his mind with suffering, subject his sinews and bones to hard work, expose his body to hunger, put him to poverty, place obstacles in the paths of his deeds, so as to stimulate his mind, harden his nature, and improve wherever he is incompetent.” If a well-intentioned person interferes in this process, it will inevitably disrupt it, thus leading to a situation where good intentions result in bad outcomes.

Suppose there is an eagle chasing a rabbit. Would you save it or not? If you save the rabbit, what would happen to the eagle? In the eagle’s nest, there are over a dozen eaglets waiting to be fed. If the eagle cannot catch the rabbit, those eaglets will starve. Compared to one rabbit, which is more important: the rabbit or the eaglets?

In a certain place, packs of jackals are causing havoc to local creatures. Ordinary dogs are no match for wild wolves. To develop dogs capable of facing wild wolves, people fence in a litter of puppies. When the dogs become extremely hungry, they start to fight among themselves. Eventually, the last surviving dog becomes a formidable opponent to the wolves, who then find it difficult to be aggressive. If you show kindness and prevent the puppies from fighting each other, thus training them to be fierce and aggressive dogs, how will you deal with those wild wolves?

A person who committed numerous wrongdoings in their previous life is now experiencing all sorts of hardships to repay past karmic debts. This is the compassionate nature of the heavenly law. If you constantly help them and prevent them from suffering, their debts will be difficult to settle, and they may continue to reincarnate in the human world, potentially accumulating boundless karmic debts again. Tell me, are you doing a good deed or a bad deed?

A person hurried to the market to buy things but got entangled by a gang of ruffians, unable to escape. This delay caused him to miss boarding a ship. Hours later, the ship capsized in a storm at sea, and all passengers aboard perished. If you, out of compassion, chased away the ruffians and then drove the person to catch the ship, what would be the outcome?

When I speak of "do not offer help unless asked for," I consider the flow of procedures. This adheres to the virtue of great benevolence in cultivation and practice. If one constantly displays their small virtues and disrupts the procedures, it contrasts with the principle of great benevolence.

However, "do not offer help unless asked for" also implies that if someone does ask for help, one should do their utmost to assist, to the extent dictated by the current circumstances.

If someone gets into a car accident and is trapped under the car, should you help or not? I think we should listen to the drive of our own hearts. If you hear their cry for help, then you should bravely rush to their rescue. If you didn’t hear it, in this special situation, you have to decide for yourself. Why did he have an accident?

When we condemn others for not helping in life-threatening situations, we should ask why. Can we ourselves always "help when we see someone in danger"? How many lives are lost every day? Have you saved any? And if you did save someone, what then? Can you solve all their troubles? Can you guarantee that saving them will lead to a happy and fulfilled life for them? For many people, survival is worse than death!

Donating to aid African famine victims is a charitable act worthy of promotion, but why are there so many famine victims in Africa? Is it because of lack of sunlight? Lack of resources? If you feed them today, what about tomorrow? If you feed them this year, what about next year? Giving them fishing tools would be better than giving them a fish.

Some people say, ‘Even if people do not ask for help, I will still assist them.’ Sure! Then go ahead and help! How many young people cannot afford to go to school? Please go and help them. How many elderly people are plagued by illness? Please go and help them. How many families are falling apart? Please go and help them. How many people are suffering from mental and emotional abuse? Please go and help them. How many people eat rougher meals, live in simpler conditions, and dress more humbly than you? Please go and help them.

In this society, there are always more people who talk big than those who actually do good deeds. As long as each person refrains from doing wrong and causing trouble for others and society, help when asked for, and that would be a great thing. (Please read the similar article "Do Not Offer Help Unless Asked For")