Germán David

“When we step on a thorn, our hand reaches down and pulls the thorn from our foot. The hand doesn’t hesitate. It doesn’t think, “Why doesn’t the foot take care of itself? It’s so inconvenient for me to help it.” Why does the hand help the foot so easily? Because they’re seen as part of the same unit, our body. Similarly, if we regard all beings as part of a unit—life—then we won’t feel disturbed by helping others. We’ll be aiding another part of the larger unit of which we’re a part. Instead of conceiving of ourselves as independent people, we’ll understand that in fact we’re interdependent. Thus, we’ll help others as if we were helping ourselves. In this way, we’ll render aid free of pride. When the hand helps the foot, it doesn’t think, “I’m so great! Look at me. I sacrifice so much for this foot. I hope the foot appreciates what I’m doing for it!” The hand just helps. there’s no condescension or pride. Likewise, there’s no reason for us to boast of how much we do for others. If we habituate ourselves to the idea that we’re all part of one unit of life, helping others will be as simple as helping ourselves is now.”
― Thubten Chodron, Open Heart, Clear Mind: An Introduction to the Buddha's Teachings