As I write this piece on my trusty computer, the first order of the day today, the 2nd Monday of October, is to celebrate Thanksgiving. It is for us to be thankful for what one has and the blessings received the previous year. I feel that it is also a celebration of the gathering of members of the family, including friends and neighbors. In Canada, Thanksgiving celebrates the bountiful harvest of the year. And what better way to do it than to gather friends and family together and have a feast.
This is a beautiful way for people to be grateful to the earth, to nature, to all that mother earth has provided to nourish us. It reminds me of the gatha (poem) of the late Buddhist monk Thay, to be said before turning on the faucet or drinking a glass of water. It goes —
“Water flows from high mountain sources.
Water runs deep in the Earth.
Miraculously, water comes to us,
And sustains all life.”
In his own simple but moving words, Thay goes on to say “…that this enables us to see the stream of fresh water in our own hearts so that we feel completely refreshed. To celebrate the gift of water is to cultivate awareness and help sustain our life and the lives of others.”
Or the following beautiful gatha to be said while washing hands—
“Water flows over these hands.
May I use them skillfully”
To preserve our precious planet.”
On water, he also wrote—
“Even if we know the source of our water, we often take its appearance for granted. But it is thanks to water that life is possible. Our bodies are more than seventy percent water. Our food can be grown and raised because of water. Water is a good friend, a bodhisattva, that nourishes the many thousands of species on Earth. Its benefits are infinite.”
Another short poem which has special meaning for me, who is particular about how I dress, (and I am sure I am not the only one), is this poem recited when getting dressed.
“Putting on these clothes,
I am grateful for those who made them
And to the materials from which they were made.
I wish everyone could have enough to wear.”
Speaking of feasting, there is another beautiful verse which never fails to remind me to be always mindful and grateful. This touching verse is on food, which we all love, sometimes too much. But this is how it goes—
“In this food
I see clearly
the presence of the entire universe
supporting my existence.”
Thay explains his meaningful poem in this way.
“This verse helps us see the principle of dependent co-arising, as we see that our life and the lives of all species are interrelated. Eating is a very deep practice. As you wait to serve yourself or be served, look at the food and smile to it. Each morsel of food is a piece of bread offered to you by the Buddha.
Look into the bread, the carrot, and touch it deeply. When you are eating your meal, pick up one piece of carrot, and don’t put it into your mouth right away. Look at it and smile to it, and if you are mindful you see deeply into the piece of carrot, sunshine is inside, a cloud is inside, the great Earth is inside, a lot of love, and a lot of hard work is inside. When you have seen clearly the real piece of carrot, put it into your mouth and chew it in mindfulness. Please be sure to chew only carrots, and not your projects or your worries. Enjoy chewing your carrot. The piece of carrot is a miracle. You, also, are a miracle. So spend time with your food, every minute of your meal should be happy. Not many people have the time and the opportunity to sit down and enjoy a meal like that. We are very fortunate.”
My very own favorite part in what he wrote is when he reminds us to chew only the carrots and not your problems. He has a way of going straight to the heart of the matter, and yet be gentle (and funny) about it.
One last gatha, recited when greeting someone. that Thay wrote which I leave you with, is this —
“A lotus for you,
a Buddha to be.”
When greeting someone, whether through joining our palms together and bowing as millions of men and women in Asia do, or through the Western way of a handshake, let us be aware of the person we are greeting. As Thay says, “when our respect is sincere, we remember that he or she has the nature of a Buddha, (or an enlightened being), the nature of awakening……Whatever form you use (in greeting someone), if you greet others mindfully and respectfully, the Buddha is present.”
When we say the Buddha is present, one could also take it to mean that we see the God in the other person.
So with this thought, I trust you all had a meaningful and joyous Thanksgiving Day last week.
Tessie O. Taylor
