Giving Water to a Traveler

I cannot understand why a person would want to shoot people randomly, like the recent incident in the United States where someone killed twelve people before being shot. Quite often, this situation ends with the shooter being killed by police or committing suicide. To me, it does not make sense and in the end, it sets the stage for life after life of suffering. The Law of Karma says that if a person harms another, so shall they suffer, and for this unfortunate person, there will be tremendous suffering. Everyone makes mistakes, but after, you want to have the time to make amends, and here, there is no opportunity. One way to make amends is to engage in good deeds like helping others and save lives, and that to me is an activity that feels good. When I see someone fall, I am normally the first person there. I do not really know what to do other than attempt to discover the severity of the injury and get help if needed, and try to make them comfortable. To me this happens often enough, so assume everyone has the same opportunity.

For instance, recently a friend and I were walking into a building and there was a person in a wheel chair. He was screaming, his arms were flailing about, and the powered wheel chair was spinning out of control. He was knocking over chairs and tables and moving very close to a large glass window. It looked serious and immediately I ran toward the person telling my fiend that I had to stop the chair. I had no idea the power of the chair, because as I grabbed it, I could not stop it, but luckily could slow it a little so that my partner who was familiar with this type of chair could turn it off. He had some cuts and bruises so we asked one of the onlookers to call 911. The person could not speak, but as we stayed with him until the paramedics arrived, he typed us a text, “Thanks, I am ok.”

Another recent incidence occurred over the winter. I was in the house and noticed a loud noise coming from the gutters of the house. I put on gloves, hat, and coat and went outside to investigate but did not hear anything. A while later, the noise started again, but by the time I went outside again, the noise stopped. The third time, I investigate closer, and when I pounded on the downspout I discovered that a squirrel was stuck in the downspout. I could not move the downspout because it was connected above and frozen into the ground. I wondered what to do. I got a screwdriver and removed its connection to the gutter, a hatchet to chop away the ice holding the downspout extension to the ground, and a shovel to pry it out. The squirrel was still stuck so I lifted the downspout, shook it a few times, and happily the squirrel slid out and ran away.

These are a couple of recent incidences, and according to the Law of Karma, if a person helps another, so shall they be helped, and here is a verse from the Veda about helping another.

To be pure is perfect in victory and with dedication to the Sacred Action of helping another to arise to heaven in glory.