Is helping still worthwhile when I am not thanked?

Yes. A sincere wish to help someone through difficulty and the actual assistance given do not lose all meaning simply because no thank-you is offered. But if you continually await recognition while giving, a lack of response can easily leave only disappointment.

Parents give out of love and care for their children without necessarily first considering future repayment. I use this example to show that people can understand love without expectation of return. Practice also involves learning this love that the deities have for living beings, examining whether we truly wish to help rather than only receive respect and applause.

On this path, there really are people who do not appreciate the help or never return. A Bodhisattva once asked me whether I still wished to help, since these too are living beings. Remembering my original vow showed me that I still needed to keep learning. Helping develops not only ability but character. After handling matters, we also review them and accumulate experience from each service.

Those who stop contacting us can also be viewed differently. A fellow practitioner suggested that perhaps the connection had reached its end, the person was doing better, or someone else was helping. Such well-wishes make it easier not to think only of ingratitude. Each can do what they can without allowing this to extinguish the original enthusiasm for helping.

Practical services also need arrangements for time and staffing. We previously set regular consultation and group-practice hours because unrestricted arrivals could leave people insufficiently attended to when busy. We still tried to help with other needs. For people in financial difficulty, we have accepted voluntary contributions and remained willing to help while giving extra materials and time. I have discussed with disciples our belief that the deities see these contributions and make up for them elsewhere. This is support we receive through faith.

Of course, being thanked is still moving. During a beach cleanup, we carried heavy rubbish back. A passing mother helped carry it, and others sincerely thanked us for the hard work. Even those unable to join the cleanup made us feel supported. Avoidance or cold reactions could feel disappointing too. But later, seeing children playing on the beach we had just cleaned showed that our work had genuinely helped. People's feelings are real, and the help already accomplished also deserves recognition.