In the text below, His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa adresses the subject of volunteer work and invites us to check the quality of our motivation in a commitment as volunteers.
We should never force ourselves to volunteer if we are not ready. Then all kinds of conditions will come and block us from receiving merit and forget about blessings. Before we say that we are poor and we need help, it's better to know what our motivation is and whether it's because of our stinginess which is blocking our opportunity to accumulate merit, or we are genuinely poor. I always say that offer what you can and don't offer what you cannot and then regret. Regretting after doing meritorious deeds is a negative karma.
Being a volunteer also means that you need to have more tolerance, more understanding, more patience, more compassion, and more wisdom, it is not a VIP ticket for special treatment. I think our organizations unfortunately are yogi organizations, volunteerism is a practice of Bodhisattva if you have the correct motivation and no expectation of special treatment. In fact, you must endure more hardships. Merit cannot rain from the sky; one must earn it. No pain, no gain.
