The Gift

God is not an accountant, but if He was I think the only things in His books would be a record of what we gave to other people and what we lovingly received from others.


C had asked what the first story was I could remember (it was the magic porridge pot, a story of how a gift is not used properly ) but this one also came to
mind. That an idea "comes" to us says what, exactly?Hyde's words are simple but profound...To give is to receive. By giving we have more, we are more.

(and now I remember that I had promised this book as a gift to someone! Sorry, I've lent it to a student, Z. Will try and get it to you. Promise.)

The gift does not stop with me-if it does then it is just a matter of private accumulation. Can market transactions be social exchanges? What do we give of ourselves (to others, to nature, to God)? One of the worst types of people, or one of the worst aspects of us all, is this miserliness of the self...as if we could store some things up against Time; this fear of emptiness means we surround ourselves with things. An american desi tells me of how americans are obsessed by this idea of "my" (my space, my life...)

What is it to live a life with an open hand, to not calculate the returns ? What would it be like to accept that some things are given to us and other things are not? Is our life only of our own making, or is it only given meaning by what is shared, by what we share?

Hazrat Ali (RA) says: you should possess your possessions, they should not possess you.

You don’t know how hard it’s been,
to find you a gift.
Nothing fits.
Why bring gold to the seam, water to the sea?
Every idea of mine seemed like hauling spice to
the East.
No good to give you my heart, soul,
you own both already.
So I got you a mirror.
Look at you.
Think of me.
---Rumi, courtesy of 'Copenhagen'