Jagad Guru Chris Butler - Siddhaswarupananda - Practical Wisdom

One apparent jiva considers himself (mentally and physically) less distressed than another jiva, feels for his distress and does something in the shape of relief or redress. This is but stopping or diminishing the unending miseries partly, locally or temporarily. It is frequently seen that a jiva who feels aggrieved and consequently abstains from committing wrong owing to weakness or inability, recovers, at such relief, strength or ability enough to commit wrong to other jivas. So it often happens that such apparently kind services not only bring harm to the recipient but cause indirect injuries to others. This is one aspect of the thing. Let us turn to the other. As a gardener prunes a growing tree, allowing its root to grow freely and easily, as a physician treats a patient leaving the prime-disease undisturbed, so this sort of temporary kindness stops, no doubt, the growth of the present inconveniences for a while but in no way uproots the cause whence all these afflictions arise. This cause has been identified with the enslaved condition of jivas. So real and permanent kindness consists in bringing before the enslaved jivas a true and vivid picture of their natural, free and blissful existence and reinstating them in their true position. Thus real kindness is applicable to the real jiva and apparent kindness to the apparent jiva.

*As an instrument, a servant, a friend, parents and a consort.