Wise Selflessness

From the Llewellyn Tarot, the Four of Pentacles; from the Beasts of Albion, 'Toad:'

          This Four often gets interpreted as being stingy with one's money, time and energy. However, it could also be looked upon as a time for prudence with these resources. In Buddhism, those that take the bodhisattva vow have the aspiration to develop selflessness in order to be of help to others. Yet Chogyam Trungpa stated, "it is necessary and very important to avoid idiot compassion. Working with the world requires some kind of practical intelligence. We cannot just be 'love-and-light' bodhisattvas. The bodhisattva’s approach is to help others to help themselves." The Toad, with its bumpy skin, is not often seen as beautiful by most and has been feared by a few. Gray suggests its meaning is to look within ourselves to find what is good and work toward self-acceptance. Many people feel their worth is only found in how happy they can make other people. They rely on feedback from others to know if they themselves are valuable. Trungpa's words and the Toad's symbolism might be the dose of reality they need.