“Heaven and Earth give themselves. Air, water, plants, animals and humans give themselves to each other. It is in this giving-themselves-to-each-other that we actually live. Whether you appreciate it or not, it is true.”
-Kodo Sawaki
I once heard someone say that you are never truly poor so long as you continue to give. When most of us think of being poor our immediate attention goes to the monetary side of things. But like most things this is just one side of the story and at the end of the day it is rather the most limited one especially when it comes down to what I think is the true meaning of being poor. When we are truly poor we are going on empty with regards towards giving to others: giving our time and helping out others in need. When we have lost the will to do this we are then actually poor and have lost our way.
Japanese Zen Master Kodo Sawaki’s quote reminds us that each entity in life gives willfully to one another. Examples of Heaven and Earth; air, water, plants, animals and of course us as humans. To quote from the movie The Lion King it is “The Circle of Life.” We are all connected, someway, somehow. And sometimes it is for better or worse. It is something that can never be changed. We are meant to live together through this continuous connection or bond with one another. I believe our purpose is to serve others by helping them and being there for them in their time of need. When we do this we will never go poor. There is an abundance of giving that I know I still have left to do in my life. It is something that makes me feel good inside and if you commit towards doing the same thing today I think it will provide you with those same feelings of joy and pride that I feel every time that give.
Giving ourselves to others is actually two fold: it helps those that we care about know that we have their back in their time in need and actually fills our emotional bucket. When this happens we will never truly be poor.
What does this quote mean to you and how can you apply today’s message towards developing your relationship skills?
Becoming The Change 