02/04/2026
Old Student: The Dhamma makes us active, prepares us to face difficulties, and gives us strength to fight evil. Is it right to say then, when faced with difficulties, that the Dhamma will help, and to run away from the problem, to become inactive, saying: "Thinking about the problem will spoil my vibrations so I should just give mettā?"
Goenkaji: No. You have not understood Dhamma very well. Even in the ten-day courses it is clearly explained that if a strong person is harming a weak person, and you just sit there and say, "What can I do? Let the strong person suffer for his kamma
(actions), and the victim is also suffering for his kamma" - this is wrong.
Dhamma does not teach that. Use all your strength, physical and vocal, to stop this person. But there should not be a trace of animosity, anger or hatred towards the aggressor. You have love and compassion for this person, but he does not understand soft language. You have tried that. Now you can take the hardest action, but with love and compassion. So, Dhamma does not make you inactive.
But where you do not have the capacity to help - say somebody is very sick, on the deathbed, and the doctor is there treating him - now what can you do? You are not a doctor. So you sit and meditate, and give mettā. If you say, "I am a Vipassana
meditator, so I must cure this person" - that would be a wrong decision. So wherever you are capable, you must be active. Do not allow people to do something wrong if you can stop them.
