Our inability to help people

[spiritnoname]

 People need food, shelter, clothing and medicine. How many of us can really do much to help people in that regard,...? Almost none, because we just don't have the means,...

[Zenji]

Perhaps we don't have the means to directly help those in need, however, we can indirectly help them by supporting the organizations that can, in any way that we are able.

[wmw111]

I think its not only in financial terms we can't help others, we are also lacking in wisdom/effort/concentration/compassion to help others like enlightened beings.
Hence if we have bodhicitta we would want to become enlightened very swiftly so we can help other beings, we become a buddha so we can help sentient beings , not becoming a buddha for the sake of it.   Create the causes to have waelth by giving so in the future you will have more to help others.

[Blueberry]

I agree with Wai Meng...
Helping others surely need wisdom/effort/compassion cos many times we feel like wanna give up due to thousand of  problems arise after we started to do the helping. Those obstacles can come from many directions and its hell frustrating, especially when the affect of helps gave very slow impact. IF you half-baked helping, it wont be surprise if you make excuses and throw the towel.
It happened here. Not once or twice it did.
Just i believe we wont use those excuses to stop helping.

[studyreligions]

I have been thinking about the different ways of helping people and I find there are two ways. Helping people in this life by giving them food, shelter, clothing and other things that spirit mentioned is one. The other way is helping people in this life and their next life by becoming a fully enlightened being and helping them through the Dharma. If one doesn't have the means to help through money, clothes, shelter, I think efforts to become a fully enlightened being can be just as good, if not better.

It's a bit like the argument of works and faith in Christianity. Instead, its works versus wisdom/compassion. In my opinion, works stem from wisdom/compassion and vice versa. By working on wisdom/compassion in one's own self, one creates the causes to have the means to help in the other ways (money, clothes, shelter). We create the karma and the causes.

Of course it can be the other way too! Works can also lead to a greater degree of wisdom/compassion as well. Works create the causes for greater realizations as long as there is a proper bodhicitta motivation that is not tainted by the 8 worldly concerns.

I guess in the end it depends on each individual disposition and situation. Ultimately, both works and wisdom/compassion support each other.

Cultivate the proper motivation and all will fall into place.

Just my two cents for what it's worth.

[spiritnoname]

 The fear, pain, and guilt from not having the four requisites is unbearable. It's a little hard to give Dharma to people without the four requisites. Like trying to teach a being in the hell realms.

 As bodhisattvas how can we bear the pain of all this except through work?

[studyreligions]

The fear, pain, and guilt from not having the four requisites is unbearable. It's a little hard to give Dharma to people without the four requisites. Like trying to teach a being in the hell realms.

 As bodhisattvas how can we bear the pain of all this except through work?

I thought the four requisites were for laypeople when they would like to support the Sangha? Anyways, I think putting the Dharma in to acutal practice, transoforming our minds, and striving for the great enlightenment for the benefit of all beings is the best thing we can give all other beings. If you have the means to provide these four requisites to the Sangha, then go for it, but I have heard the best way to repay your Guru's kindness is by holding your vows and really practice what you have been taught. Do the sangha teach to get these four requisites? No, they teach to benefit others, to free others from their suffering. What better way to give back to them by acutally practicing what they preach.

Of course, the sangha does need our support, and there are laypeople more well off then others who are in a better position to provide these necessities for the sangha and for other people too. If we don't have the means to support in this way, then we repay the kindness of the laypeople who do support the sangha by practicing the dharma because laypeople who donate to the Sangha do it so the the Dharma is available for others. Then when and if you have the means, support and help others or you can take ordination  and then others can support you (hopefully)

[Duke Okkelberg]

I believe there is always ways to help others, however sometimes it is hard to prioritize what what be most helpful for others and what brings ultimate benefit. We could stand at the post office and open the door for every dear old lady that walks up all day long, but there are many more helpful ways to bring others the happiness that we are all looking for.

Anything done in order to bring your own mental continuum closer to Enlightenment is a gift of assistance to others as well...but we all know that.

I always liked what Master Shantideva said in relation to the ability of others to truly practice benefiting others. He said, "Start with vegetables".

[spiritnoname]

All humans need the four requisites basically

[studyreligions]

If you don't have the ability to give as a practitioner, and you are more in need of support, you can give the opportunity for others to give to you by accepting the support of others to give them an opportunity for them to build merit. In that way you are still helping people indirectly.

When Buddha renounced the world and taught the path to others, I don't think he was giving the four requisites directly to others, but he instead gave teachings and was a living example of how to liberate yourself and others from samsara. So I think our practice is a perfect way to help others if we don't have the means to help them in other ways.

[Joey]

you could plan out ways on how and work towards achieving them. For example studying and practicing the Dharma

[studyreligions]

Here is a quote from Kyabje Pabongkha Rinpoche from Liberation in the Palm of your Hand (2006) pg. 17:

"All are our kind mothers, and we must repay their kindness. Giving food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, wealth to the poor, etc., and satisfying their wants, would repay some of them their kindnesses; but this would really not be of much benefit. The best way to repay their kindness is to cause them to have every happiness and to be without every kind of suffering. There is no better way to repay their kindness...

... As for right now, forget about all beings--you cannot work for the sake of even one sentient being. Who then can? The bodhisattvas abiding on the pure levels and the shravakas or pratyekabuddhas can benefit sentient beings; but they can only do a little of what the buddhas are capable of doing. Thus a buddha, who is without equal in his deeds for the welfare of beings, is the only one.

... If you wonder whether we can achieve the same level of buddhahood, the answer is, we can."

So I can give the four requisites to others if I can as this can help temporary. But to be of real benefit I must become a Buddha for the benefit of all beings.

[Joey]

Here is a quote from Kyabje Pabongkha Rinpoche from Liberation in the Palm of your Hand (2006) pg. 17:

"All are our kind mothers, and we must repay their kindness. Giving food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, wealth to the poor, etc., and satisfying their wants, would repay some of them their kindnesses; but this would really not be of much benefit. The best way to repay their kindness is to cause them to have every happiness and to be without every kind of suffering. There is no better way to repay their kindness...

... As for right now, forget about all beings--you cannot work for the sake of even one sentient being. Who then can? The bodhisattvas abiding on the pure levels and the shravakas or pratyekabuddhas can benefit sentient beings; but they can only do a little of what the buddhas are capable of doing. Thus a buddha, who is without equal in his deeds for the welfare of beings, is the only one.

... If you wonder whether we can achieve the same level of buddhahood, the answer is, we can."

So I can give the four requisites to others if I can as this can help temporary. But to be of real benefit I must become a Buddha for the benefit of all beings.

because sometimes, you will never know for sure if by doing that you would harm  them further in the long run....

[spiritnoname]

 One day all that will remain of my body is ash. I only have so much time to help beings before I am gone and I will have no means to ease their pain,.. It hurts to think this way, but it will pave the way for the Buddha mind.

[Joey]

One day all that will remain of my body is ash. I only have so much time to help beings before I am gone and I will have no means to ease their pain,.. It hurts to think this way, but it will pave the way for the Buddha mind.

all we can do now is plant seeds....unless we dedicate our entire being to attaining enlightenment

Part of me wants that yet the other part still wants to enjoy samsara....this kind of feeling is even worse