From the depth of a pure heart

We often seek support during difficult times. Every ounce of assistance is welcome at the start of a struggle, especially if it actually answers our needs. And, at the most dismal instances, when time is of the essence, we sometimes forget about the other compromising conditions that such assistance can bring about. When, though, can we declare that such assistance is genuine and hence accept it? When can we assert that it isn't the case?

We can't deny that some assistance is motivated by a vested interest. It is only serving one party's interests. When the goal is to push a certain agenda that may or may not be in keeping with the spirit of unity and peace, easing the pain of others, lifting the spirit, or improving someone's condition, then such assistance is dubious from the start.

We can't blame individuals who find it difficult to acquire someone's trust. Much more so if they have had terrible encounters in the past, or if the one offering assistance sees the other as an adversary whose true goal is destruction. Frustrating events like unfulfilled promises, understandably, influence how we do things now, taking into account the lessons of the past.

Genuine assistance comes from the heart's purest intentions. A compassionate heart that has no bounds and is unconcerned about affiliations or opinions. A compassionate heart is not labeled. And does not pursue self-aggrandizement in any way. Even when it reaches the brink of depletion and submission, it continues to refill such inexhaustible internal motivation.

For many of us, "pure intention" is an ideal to which we strive but which we rarely have the opportunity to put into reality in our daily lives. We're worried about making every possible mistake, about not doing enough to alter the world, and about pushing others to go too far in the same direction. We often act and think out of dread of what we don't want.

So, what about those instances when we can finally make a decision based on genuine love and trust? Those are priceless moments. And some individuals and organizations with excellent intentions springing from pure hearts require our assistance because, like good eggs, their good intentions quickly deteriorate if they are not hatched.

Others may try to make our hearts as cold as theirs, but we are the winners if we stay loyal to ourselves! The best of intentions win out. We are at peace at the end of the day because our intentions come from the depths of our pure hearts.