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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.  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.