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Help

A couple mornings this week, I've wanted to share some new-to-me notion on help, and by the evening I've forgotten again.  But I think the main point in there is that while giving help is usually considered a form of compassion, asking for help is as well -- the notion that hidden in the request of a person, book or deity is an acknowledgment of connection to that insight/book, world/person, knowing/deity.  We ask for help having already developed some confidence  in our own capability for understanding and the intelligence of the question itself; we also demonstrate confidence in the target of our request, that this being (or thing) might be able to hold a mirror to the question to show its resolution.  

Of course, there are ways I have misused notions of help -- turning question-asking into a form of greed (or stubbornness!), or as a "helper", by attempting to replace the questioner's insight with my own.  Ultimately, nobody needs saving (not even me!) and the question is its own response a seed -- hopefully for an interaction that's beneficial for all.  But the reason why that works is because help is allowed -- exemplifies completeness.  Well, anyway, I still like help and the way it reveals new perspectives. 

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This morning, I was thinking about push hands / kumite (partner practice) as an example of help.  Shintaido (a martial art I use to practice)  uses the terms "give" and "receive" rather than attack and defense.