Indifference vs Letting Go
The
admonition that I let go of all ambition for money, power and prestige does not
mean I drop my hands to the side and do nothing. There is a distinct polarity
between indifference and being released from grasping. As I go about my day,
compassion opens my eyes to the suffering of others. I can offer a panhandler a
sandwich in lieu of coin. Often this effort is rejected but my desire to please
doesn’t compel me to reach into my pocket for him. It is better to step over or
pass by without comment the man on the street than to provide him with the
means to stay there. Giving him that means is not compassion… it is
ego-flattery of the worse kind because it accomplishes nothing more for the
panhandler than making me feel good about myself. The Heart of Compassion
directs my soul to do what is best for the man and not what is best for me.
Sometimes that amounts to nothing more than a kind word and simple direction.
Other times it is more involving… like providing him with a razor and bar of
soap and a can of chili. This is not indifference. The most destructive efforts
to “help the poor” can be seen where neighborhoods were torn down and housing
projects erected… all for the benefit of the “poor”. Another equally
devastating hand is the way welfare is handed out that drives the father out of
the house; thus rendering young men without a role model other than that of his
peers in a gang. This misdirected concern for others causes more damage than
indifference. When we try to help others it is better to do so in a manner that
helps him rather than what is convenient for, and flatters, me.
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