Buddhism can offer help in coping with the challenges of life, including illness and death. Sometimes we can help other people with our wisdom, with our Dharma. Sometimes in helping others, we take away their power and independence, which isn’t always in their best interest. It’s important to remember that when one helps others, they need to be act out of wisdom, out of love, and not out of fear. This talk is on principles of giving help, looking after, and serving other people, and it is part of being wise in our compassion. You can compassionately serve others in the world by giving them the means to be at peace. Sensitivity to the needs of the other person is a difficult quality to develop, but it is essential for creating a sense of community.

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This dhamma talk was originally recorded using a low quality MP3 to save on file size (because internet connections were slow back then – remember dialup?) on 31st March 2003. It has now been remastered and published by the Everyday Dhamma Network, and will be of interest to his many fans. If you like the Ajahn Brahm Podcast, you may also like the Treasure Mountain Podcast and / or the Forest Path Podcast which are also produced by the Everyday Dhamma Network.

These talks by Ajahn Brahm have been recorded and made available for free distribution by the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. You can support the Buddhist Society of Western Australia by pledging your support via their Patreon page.