I frequently encounter individuals begging. In these moments, I often find myself questioning if I’m being scammed, which makes me wonder: how can I reconcile that skepticism with the practice of non-judgment?

I would appreciate your perspective on this — specifically, what would you consider to be an appropriate response?

Certainly. Your responsibility to others is a balance between helping them achieve their goals without infringing or interfering with their life lessons. And so your decision must be what is the greater good. That can be hard to discern at a moment’s notice, which is why we said at an earlier time to help people who are clearly in distress, which would include those souls who are handicapped, but to refrain from interfering with those who are able-bodied.

To some that might seem heartless, but bear in mind that each person enters this plane with a contract to learn, and some choose to learn the hard way. Regarding judgement, now the question remains, can you give or not give without having a judgement against yourself, as you are manipulated by guilt? Remember that you are an exchange of energy. Is your gift infused with guilt, or pity, or joy?