Seeing people in trouble,

we should not ignore them,

thinking it’s their karma, their own doing. 

Throughout our innumerable lifetimes, not knowing about or not truly understanding cause and effect, we have thought and acted without considering what could happen afterwards. We were ignorant then. And we still are.

We were, and remain, like children, acting impulsively without any thought of consequences. Just as we empathize with the child who hurts herself falling out of a tree, we feel compassion for people who bring suffering upon themselves through their own actions. They were ignorant. Just like us.

To understand that suffering is brought about by one’s actions allows us to improve our behavior. It also helps us to deepen our compassion through the giving of fearlessness and of what we have. To dismiss suffering as the person’s own fault is to be judgmental, not compassionate. No matter how powerful or old the other person is, they are actually children when it comes to realizing the pervasiveness of causality.

Just like us.

Even advice from those who irritate us

 can be valid.  

Hopefully, we have someone whom we have an unusually good affinity with. We respect and trust this person so much that when she corrects us, we just say “Oh, okay.” And then we calmly do as she recommends. No-fuss. No arguing. We simply accept the advice and act on it because she knows us and cares about us, and offers her words in a non-emotional, non-confrontational way. And if it comes with critique, it is easy to accept.

Unfortunately, there are those we share a weak affinity with and whom we trust only minimally. So when he criticizes us, we bristle with irritation. We may not even utter a reply. Such defensive stances are typical for us still stuck here in samsara.

But maybe, just maybe, he has valid points, helpful ones. While he may not have our best interests at heart, he may well be clearly observing the situation. We need to consider that his advice, even if given unskillfully and without affection, might be accurate.