Always reciprocate even the smallest kindness done for us.
Never seek reciprocation even for the greatest kindness done for others.
A: 受人滴水之恩，当以涌泉相报. (When receiving another’s kindness of a drop of water, it should be repaid with torrents.)
P: Seeking reciprocation is one sure path to suffering. People who give without expecting any form of reciprocation almost never have failed businesses or marriages.
S: And even when there are failures, it’s ok for them as they never cling to expectations of payback.
X: What should we do if the kindnesses are taken for granted?
S: When we see our kindness to be taken for granted and feel unhappy, it means there was reciprocation expected. Just as we wish others to be kind to us without expecting reciprocation, why should we expect others to reciprocate our kindness?
However, if one is bullied despite being kind to another, it is also being kind to the person by addressing the issue, to prevent the person from creating negative karma. If the person refuses to see the reasoning, further continual kindness might touch and transform the person. In the worst case scenario, for the good of the person, we might need to pause being kind for a while.