THE STORY IS TOLD ABOUT A WOMAN ZEN MASTER named Sono who taught
one very
simple method of enlightenment. She advised everyone who came to
her to
adopt an affirmation to be said many times a day, under all
conditions. The
affirmation was, "Thank you for everything. I have no complaint
whatsoever."
Many people from all arenas of life came to Sono for healing.
Some were in
physical pain; others were emotionally distraught; others had
financial
troubles; some were seeking soul liberation. No matter what
their distress
or what question they asked her, her response was the same:
"Thank you for
everything. I have no complaint whatsoever." Some people went
away
disappointed; others grew angry; others tried to argue with her.
Yet some
people took her suggestion to heart and began to practice it.
Tradition
tells that everyone who practiced Sono's mantra found peace and
healing.
Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.
My friend Susan, an attractive woman in her late 30's, came to
one of my
seminars after I had not seen her for a number of years. She
informed the
group that a year earlier she had been diagnosed with a brain
disorder that
required immediate surgery. The surgery was done, a steel plate
was inserted
in her head, and her doctor keeps her under close observation.
Susan
reported that now she lives from day to day. Privately I Susan
that I was
sorry she had gone through this whole ordeal. "Oh, don't be
sorry," she told
me emphatically. "I'm not sorry at all. This was one of the best
things that
has ever happened to me. It really got me to appreciate my life
and
relationships. I married a wonderful guy and we are thinking
about having
children. I wouldn't trade the experience if I could." Thank you
for
everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.
Can you imagine what your life would be like if you simply
dropped your
complaints? It's a radical proposal, since most of us have been
trained to
question, analyze, and criticize everything we see. But then we
end up
questioning, analyzing, and criticizing ourselves. Then we miss
out on joy,
the only true measure of success.
The ecstatic mystic poet Hafiz proclaimed, "All a sane man can
ever think
about is giving love." One evening I received a phone call from
my friend
Cliff, a Jewish guy from Brooklyn who discovered A Course in
Miracles and
became a world-class love exuder. Cliff just went around finding
good and
beauty in everyone he met. On the phone, Cliff told me, "I just
called to
tell you how much I love and appreciate you."
"Well, thank you Cliff," I answered, delighted. "I really
appreciate that .
.. . What prompted you to call me at this moment?"
"My knee was hurting me, and I knew that the only way I could
feel better
would be to give more love. So I began to think of the people in
my life who
I care about, and you came to mind."
Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.
As we approach the holiday of Thanksgiving, many of us will be
getting
together with our families. Perhaps family issues may come to
the fore and
we might be tempted to fall into a pattern of rehashing old
resentments and
arguments. Wouldn't it be fabulous if, as we sat with our
relatives, we held
in mind, "Thank you for everything. I have no complaint
whatsoever." Imagine
what this Thanksgiving would be like if we decided that no
matter how much
Mom complained about Dad; how much Dad bugged us about getting a
real job;
or how unspiritual our ex is, we chose to be an unstoppable
appreciation
machine and found the good in our loved ones. Indeed this would
be a
triumphant Thanksgiving to remember!
Yes, I know, there is a voice inside you objecting, "But if I
did not
complain, people would walk all over me and selfish opportunists
would
genetically manipulate my food and terrorists would keep
crashing airplanes
into buildings and . . . and. . .
Got it. Now if you went to Sono, her response would be, "Thank
you for
everything. I have no complaint whatsoever."
I am simply suggesting that we practice the mantra for an entire
Thanksgiving day. And then maybe one day a week. Then we might
start to feel
so good and our lives will become so effective that we want to
turn every
day into Thanksgiving.
In my book Handle with Prayer I state that the highest form of
prayer is
gratitude. Instead of asking God for stuff, start thanking God
for stuff,
and you will find that God has already given you everything you
could want
or need, including the adventure of discovering more riches
every day. Life
is a big treasure hunt. Eventually we grow weary of seeking
treasures
outside ourselves, and we begin to look within. There we
discover that the
gold we sought, we already are. The beauty we overlooked because
we were
focusing on what was missing, still lives and awaits us like an
anxious
lover.
As T.S. Eliot nobly noted, The end of all our exploring will be
to arrive
where we started and know the place for the first time.
Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever. Have a
great
Thanksgiving.
(Autor unknown. I just got it like that. Thanks you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever. Adrachin)