Simple Gifts

1. The small of a woman's back.
2. In-jokes and laughing with friends until my stomach hurts.
3. The smell of old books (published prior to 1950) that have sat on library stacks for decades
4. A cold beer after a demanding Uechi-ryu class.
5. Reading, and drinking my morning coffee in bed on a rainy day.
6. Receiving a present unexpectedly and for no particular occasion.
7. Giving a present, for no particular occasion, that makes the recipient smile.
8. Someone offering to cook for me. I can't cook very well; I am humbled by those who have that gift and share it.
9. The Sunday funny papers. Especially Get Fuzzy.
10. The sound snow makes when it falls at night.

The above is a list of things that have made me happy at various times. They cost little or no money. As today's header proclaims, they are simple gifts. More than money or fame or professional accolades, they are the things that make life worth living. Now this is hardly an original or startling philosophical conclusion on my part- that life's meaning is not going to be found in money or fame - plenty of folks have said it before. But it does beg the questions - where then can the meaning of life be found? How does one order his or her life to find that meaning?

Not a mystery I expect to solve in a blog posting. History's great philosophers have pondered this question; it would presumptuous to think I have the solution. But I do think I have a slight glimmering - an idea slowly growing. I think some of the Old Masters had a glimmering too. Consider this:

"The way of the sword and the Way of Zen are identical, for they have the same purpose; that of killing the ego." -Yamada Jirokichi

Life is 2003 can get very complicated very fast, all under it's own impetus. Yet often we make it more complicated and more difficult for ourselves, because of our egos, our inability to let things go. How much trouble have you caused yourself because of pride, holding grudges for slights and insults real or imagined, jealousy? And how much of that energy expended was worth it? Did it get you what you wanted, what made you happy? Did your ego obscure what was really important, perhaps even steer you away from it?

These are things I've been pondering about myself lately. Some of the answers to the above questions I don't like - they don't cast me in a very favorable light. The glimmering I mentioned earlier, that I sometimes see dancing away before me, is to let go - to not listen to the ego so much. Because it's not always about me. Or you, for that matter.

Ah well - that's enough of that. I fear I've done a poor job a explaining the concept rattling about my brain box. Perhaps I'll return to it another time and try and tease out the notion into something more fully shaped.

Today's header comes from an old song titled (obviously) 'Simple Gifts.' The name may be unfamiliar to you - but if I whistled you the tune you'd recognize it. You've heard it on Oldsmobile commercials, as the theme for 'American Journal, in Copeland's 'Appalachian Spring', and many other places. But the song was written by a Shaker Elder over 150 years ago. I first heard as a child in church, and 'Simple Gifts' has always been one of my favorite songs. You can learn more about the song here. The orignal lyrics are as follows:

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.