When you give something you feel good because at that time you feel at one with what you are giving.
— Shunryu Suzuki-roshi quoted in At Home with Dying by Merrill Collett
Sharings and reflections by Sr. Ellie Finlay of St. John's Center for Spiritual Formation
When you give something you feel good because at that time you feel at one with what you are giving.
I'm not sure I agree with this. The good feelings I have from giving are from feeling at one with the recipient--not the gift. Feeling at one with the recipient is also what sometimes makes me feel inadequate in my giving--it makes me realize just how selfish I am at times.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn L.
Dear Ellie,
ReplyDeleteWhen I give gifts, I always think of all the lessons on giving my mother taught me. Many times we gave without letting anyone know who the giver was. She would tell me that I must never tell, because the fun was in the giving, always in the giving, never in getting credit or thanks for the gift. I find that she was right. I love to give gifts. I find, however, that some people are suspicious and feel that there must be strings attached, even when there are none.