When we take refuge in the Three Treasures, we are acknowledging the supreme value of being a human being, who is awake to all that she has received and continues receiving from the boundless web of life. And what she does with it.
What comes along with our gifts? What gives it value is the passing of it along. “The gift must pass?” in the words of Lewis Hyde. If we never spend our money it’s useless actually. It only gains its value in the spending of it. Likewise, the value of all that we have received and continue receiving comes from continuing the offering.
But first you must recognize what you have to offer. Practice helps us with this. We notice when we have given what was needed. And we notice when we are withholding. We notice when we look or listen with care, and when we are careless in our approach.
The season of plenty and appreciation is not restricted to the winter holiday time. When should we offer our gifts? The gift season is perpetual. There are so many opportunities to offer what is needed. We just need to pay attention and give generously from the Three Treasure’s trove.
❤️ Mushin
