What kind of people need defending?

Do you know Rumpole, the British barrister (lawyer)? While I was home recently, my dad loaned me a book to read about this fictional character, well-known through the TV serial that airs on PBS.

In this particular book, Rumpole was being interviewed for a possible promotion and was asked why he chose to defend people who were always getting into trouble. I don't have the exact words in front of me, but his answer was something like "People who don't get into trouble don't need defending."

That made me think of the bodhisattva mission to save suffering beings. Sure I want people to be free of suffering, but I don't want to be bothered by the annoying ones, the ones who really have a lot of problems. Also, I don't really want to help the ones who hurt me.

So which ones am I going to work for? to lead them from suffering into everlasting happiness? Only the good ones? They probably don't even need my help. That would be like a lawyer who only defended people who never got into trouble.

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