One day Chao-chou fell down in the snow, and called out, "Help me up! Help me up!" A monk came and lay down beside him. Chao-chou got up and went away.

(Koan)

First reaction

How did he help Chao-chou?

Exploration

The monk did nothing to directly help Chao-chou yet Chao-chou got up.
Did he really need help?
Or was he being lazy? Seeking attention?
What is help? How would we define it?
Is help always something we give?
Can we help by not intervening?
Is it necessarily beneficial?


Possible meaning

If you give money to a beggar, are you necessarily helping that person?
They may go and overdose on some drug or spend the money on alcohol rather than food.

Our concept of 'help' needs to be considered further.
Who defines what help is? If we choose to act in a particular way, does that necessarily help the recipient?
Can we choose what is best for someone else? Are we responsible for the outcome of our help?

Can it be helpful to do nothing?

Appropriateness is relative to each situation.
 

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