Great Throughts Treasury

"Helping is less a task-oriented activity than an indication of a way of living and being."

"Love begins in individual hearts."

"The highest level of compassion is without any purpose or intent. It seeks neither the good of others nor its own good. It lies in being good not ‘doing good.’ There is simply living without design or conscious reflection. It embodies the fostering of love."

"Nowness closes no doors. It involves an openness which throws away fears and expectations. It opens itself to risks, to new learning, experiences and interpretations."

"What is Zen in the art of helping? It is easier to say what it is not than more positively to describe the essence. It is to avoid the boosting of the ego through ‘good works’. It is to aid oneself and others in the pursuit of the good life; to discover and uncover new vigour and freshness in the art of living; to uncover the primal ability of love. Living in the here and now is a major ingredient."