One
day my doorbell rang. It was a little girl begging for money. At first
sight, she appeared to be neatly dressed. I gave her some money but
wondered why she was begging. After a short while, she came back with
her younger sister, who looked at me with shining eyes. This time, the
little girl explained her family situation. Their mother had passed
away and their father had just sustained a leg injury and could not
work temporarily. So she did odd jobs here and there, like selling trivial
things. They had to go without meals if her business was bad. A strong
feeling surged inside of me after I heard her story, so I gave her several
times more money than I had earlier, and the two little girls left happily.
I thought I would be happy to help her again if she returned.
When I mentioned
this story to a fellow initiate the next day, she told me that the little
girl had visited her as well. She had asked the little girl to sweep
away the fallen leaves outside her dwelling before she would give her
any money. But the little girl left without doing so. I understood that
this fellow initiate wanted those seeking help to first try doing something
for themselves instead of always relying on others. But then I suddenly
recalled something that Master once said: "We help when other people
need it, and do not seek anything in return; we do it unconditionally."
Nevertheless, the initiate's words made me feel that it was not worthwhile
helping such people, because these things happen so often that we sometimes
become tired of them. I assumed that I had been cheated again, and decided
that when the little girl returned the next time, I would ask some initiates
to visit her family to learn the truth.
Two days
later, a Quan Yin messenger came to Lohmay, my hometown, and talked
about Master's loving concern for Ghanaian initiates. I felt a shock
from a kind of spiritual light and suddenly realized that love comes
intuitively, without logical analysis or judgement. It is unnecessary
to consider what is the most beneficial way. All these years, I had
let my values influence my decisions and used materialistic concepts
to weigh my actions. I had always wavered back and forth, wondering
which decision or action was better or worse. And this kind of thinking
had plunged me into a physical struggle between good and evil. Fortunately,
I have now met a living, enlightened Master, whose omnipresent teachings
have helped me rise above my long-rigid values.
Several
days later, the little girl came again, this time with her cute, lovely,
little brother. Later our initiates visited their family and found that
it was just as the little girl had described. We asked the initiates
to bring them some medicine and money to cover their living expenses.
The little girl's father was very happy and thankful to receive our
loving donation, and I felt happy myself. My thinking has been purified
through this experience, and I now understand more deeply Master's teaching:
"We do charity out of love, out of wanting nothing, out of just
duty to mankind, out of love for less fortunate beings." 
